‘Give Us Your Tired, Your Poor, Your…Freebies’? Nearly Half of U.S. Immigrant Households on Welfare – RedState
As the Trump administration works on deporting the millions of illegal immigrants that the Biden administration let in through the southern border, Democrats and the left have insisted that America is “a nation of immigrants.” It’s just another attempt to twist words and meanings to fit their ideology. Traditionally, immigrants expected to come to the U.S. and work hard to achieve success. As if we didn’t already suspect, today’s immigrants appear to have a very different idea of what coming to America is.
Center for Immigration Studies Director Jessica Vaughan on the burden of illegal aliens on taxpayers:
“Over 60% of illegal alien headed households are using at least one form of a welfare program, and usually more than one, at a cost of tens of billions of dollars to taxpayers” pic.twitter.com/iaOmE6TKBD
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 10, 2026
According to a recent analysis of Census Bureau data by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), almost half of households headed by immigrants, both legal and illegal, receive one or more forms of welfare. The Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement showed that roughly 47 percent of immigrant households are on at least one form of welfare. When the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit is added in, the percentage jumps to 54 percent.
READ MORE: He Took $3.8M in COVID Money and Lied His Way In. Now His Citizenship Is Gone.
Which immigrants are the biggest offenders? Immigrants from Afghanistan at 87 percent, the Dominican Republic at 78 percent, Guatemala at 77 percent, Honduras at 75 percent, and Mexico at 67 percent. But not all immigrants have come to the U.S. expecting to be supported by American taxpayers. Korean immigrants come in at 28 percent, Canada and the United Kingdom both come in at 21 percent, and India comes in at just 15 percent.
While the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill in July 2025 halted much of the access to welfare benefits granted by the Biden administration to illegal immigrants, there is still a large number of illegal immigrants who have managed to access those benefits. The Survey cites the reason for this.
“This is primarily because non-citizens often receive benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children and the restrictions only apply to some programs. These facts coupled with the large share of non-citizens who have modest levels of education and their resulting low incomes mean many can use means-tested anti-poverty programs.”
Over HALF of ALL Ellis Island immigrants ended up going back home to Europe.
Why?
Because America DIDN’T HAVE welfare back then.
You either made it on your own, or you WENT BACK. Those were your two options!
Compare that to modern immigrants, where OVER 50% are on welfare 🤯 pic.twitter.com/EXcGanja5L
— The Conservative Alternative (@OldeWorldOrder) March 11, 2026
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But as has been recently discovered by people like independent journalist Nick Shirley, none of those immigrant groups can compete in receiving public funds like Somali immigrants in Minnesota. Nearly 81 percent of Somali households in Minnesota receive some sort of public assistance. It is the best argument so far for those who say all immigration should be paused. In November 2025, Republican Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) introduced the “Pausing All Admissions Until Security Ensured (PAUSE) Act.” It would halt all immigration, except for temporary tourist visas, until it is determined that the U.S. immigration system is operating correctly.
Immigrants used to come to America because they wanted to assimilate, work hard, and become Americans themselves. Now, the American Dream has morphed into a twisted challenge of how much immigrants can get the American people to support them, and how much fraud they can get away with.
Americans are funding their replacement:
46% of Middle Eastern migrant households are using welfare. Almost all legal immigrants.
60% of Mexican migrant households. There are more than 11 million Mexican-born individuals in the US.
58% of Caribbean migrant households are on… https://t.co/ykAZBs2KvL
— White Papers Policy Institute (@WhitePapersPol) March 18, 2026
58% of Caribbean migrant households are on welfare. There are more than 5.3 million Caribbean migrants in the US. 60% have citizenship.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left’s lies, new legislation wasn’t needed to secure our border, just a new president.
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