Government
Report: Immigrants Use Welfare System More Than Natives
Majority on at least one program; collections by illegals higher than legals
Around the State
A day after a "civil justice" group asked why Florida needed new immigration laws, a Washington think tank offered a dollars-and-cents answer.
The Center for Immigration Studies on Tuesday reported that U.S. immigrants -- legal and illegal -- use welfare programs at a higher rate than the native population.
While conventional wisdom contends that immigrants cross the border to work, 57 percent of households headed by immigrants collect at least one welfare check, compared to 39 percent for native households.
Researchers say those findings explain in part why Food Stamp recipients are at an all-time high of 44 million.
Not all immigrants behave the same, however. Households with children with the highest rates of welfare use are headed by migrants from the Dominican Republic (82 percent), Mexico and Guatemala (75 percent), and Ecuador (70 percent).
The lowest rates are found among immigrants from the United Kingdom (7 percent), India (19 percent) and Canada and Korea (25 percent),
Florida, home to some 1 million illegal immigrants, spends an estimated $5.5 billion providing social services to undocumented migrants each year.
Steve Camarota, director of research for the CIS, said that high rates of welfare usage do not necessarily reflect immigrants' unwillingness to work.
"The vast majority (95 percent) of immigrant households with children had at least one worker in 2009. But their low education levels mean that more than half of these working-immigrant households with children still accessed the welfare system."
The Florida Legislature is considering a series of bills that would crack down on illegal immigration. On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Senate Bill 2040, which purports to tighten hiring in the private sector by requiring employers to either use the federal E-Verify screening database or verify a REAL ID-compliant driver's license.
The measure is broadly opposed by business organizations and immigrant-rights groups, including Florida New Majority, which declared: "Florida has many problems, immigrants aren't one of them."
"We have no idea why Florida is still pushing through with this," the group said in a statement Monday.
But CIS research indicates that state taxpayers are shouldering an ongoing and growing cost of immigration -- both legal and illegal.
While some argue that immigrant families tend to be younger and have more children -- which leads to more welfare use -- the CIS study found that childless immigrant households also far outstrip comparable native households in collecting welfare.
Notably, illegal immigrant households collect welfare benefits at a higher rate than households headed by legal residents.
"We estimate that 52 percent of households with children headed by legal immigrants used at least one welfare program in 2009, compared to 71 percent for illegal immigrant households with children. Illegal immigrants generally receive benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children," Camarota wrote.
In Florida, 48.7 percent of immigrant households collected some form of welfare versus 35.1 percent of native households. In Miami-Dade, the spread was 55.9 percent versus 49.6 percent.
Although most new legal immigrants are barred from using certain welfare programs for the first five years, CIS found that provision had only a "modest impact" on household use because most immigrants have been in the United States longer than five years, and the ban only applies to some programs.
The eight major welfare programs examined in the report were: SSI (Supplemental Security Income), TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), WIC (Women Infants and Children food program), free/reduced school lunch, Food Stamps, Medicaid, public housing and rent subsidies.
http://www.cis.org/articles/2011/immigrant-welfare-use-4-11.pdf
--
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
The Center for Immigration Studies on Tuesday reported that U.S. immigrants -- legal and illegal -- use welfare programs at a higher rate than the native population.
While conventional wisdom contends that immigrants cross the border to work, 57 percent of households headed by immigrants collect at least one welfare check, compared to 39 percent for native households.
Researchers say those findings explain in part why Food Stamp recipients are at an all-time high of 44 million.
Not all immigrants behave the same, however. Households with children with the highest rates of welfare use are headed by migrants from the Dominican Republic (82 percent), Mexico and Guatemala (75 percent), and Ecuador (70 percent).
The lowest rates are found among immigrants from the United Kingdom (7 percent), India (19 percent) and Canada and Korea (25 percent),
Florida, home to some 1 million illegal immigrants, spends an estimated $5.5 billion providing social services to undocumented migrants each year.
Steve Camarota, director of research for the CIS, said that high rates of welfare usage do not necessarily reflect immigrants' unwillingness to work.
"The vast majority (95 percent) of immigrant households with children had at least one worker in 2009. But their low education levels mean that more than half of these working-immigrant households with children still accessed the welfare system."
The Florida Legislature is considering a series of bills that would crack down on illegal immigration. On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Senate Bill 2040, which purports to tighten hiring in the private sector by requiring employers to either use the federal E-Verify screening database or verify a REAL ID-compliant driver's license.
The measure is broadly opposed by business organizations and immigrant-rights groups, including Florida New Majority, which declared: "Florida has many problems, immigrants aren't one of them."
"We have no idea why Florida is still pushing through with this," the group said in a statement Monday.
But CIS research indicates that state taxpayers are shouldering an ongoing and growing cost of immigration -- both legal and illegal.
While some argue that immigrant families tend to be younger and have more children -- which leads to more welfare use -- the CIS study found that childless immigrant households also far outstrip comparable native households in collecting welfare.
Notably, illegal immigrant households collect welfare benefits at a higher rate than households headed by legal residents.
"We estimate that 52 percent of households with children headed by legal immigrants used at least one welfare program in 2009, compared to 71 percent for illegal immigrant households with children. Illegal immigrants generally receive benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children," Camarota wrote.
In Florida, 48.7 percent of immigrant households collected some form of welfare versus 35.1 percent of native households. In Miami-Dade, the spread was 55.9 percent versus 49.6 percent.
Although most new legal immigrants are barred from using certain welfare programs for the first five years, CIS found that provision had only a "modest impact" on household use because most immigrants have been in the United States longer than five years, and the ban only applies to some programs.
The eight major welfare programs examined in the report were: SSI (Supplemental Security Income), TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), WIC (Women Infants and Children food program), free/reduced school lunch, Food Stamps, Medicaid, public housing and rent subsidies.
http://www.cis.org/articles/2011/immigrant-welfare-use-4-11.pdf
--
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.

Comments (26)
I always find great knowledge from it. mediahuset nova svindel
Now, waves of immgrants come, take, and send money "home". That is the crux of the problem. Most do not come to enrich themselves as part of the "American Society". They come as foreign workers, whose only goal is to siphon off the wealth of that Society for themselves. By and Large, they look at US Citizenship primarily as a way to garner more "benefits". Now, they are Russians, Latinos, etc., etc. who happen to have US Passports.
In school districts throughout America thousands of teachers have been receiving pink slips, because there is no money in the State treasuries to pay them; unless more taxes are extracted from the residents. This problem seems to be mostly centered in the larger cities, but wherever this grave situation is in effect, the outcome is the same? Unless the diverse State legislators can drag more taxes from the State residents, this situation will only get far worse. OUR SCHOOLS ARE FAILING BECAUSE OF THE NEGATIVE DIRECT INFLUENCE, OF CHILDREN THAT HAVE LIITLE COMPREHENSION OF ENGLISH, BUT UNDER FEDERAL LAW THEY MUST BE EDUCATED. But I see this issue in different light, which if the Public hadn't been royally skewered by the birthright citizenship law, this educating the world, would never have happened.
The law mishandled in the interpretation of the 14th amendment, billions of dollars would not be going to educating children of illegal immigrants. This is not to mention the hundreds of thousands of individuals smuggled monthly across borders or enter America illegally or by other means. The definitive point being that there would be no need for the extraordinary amount of Teachers desired to teach the children of illegal aliens if they were not here. That billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars would be saved. Any prudent persons, who has not been brainwashed by the Leftists, must comprehend that our clogged classrooms, a need for bilingual teachers that our nation has been silently invaded. True born Americans and permanent residents have endured the “Politically Correct” doctrine for too long. That it’s facilitated this country plummeting into an apathetic chaotic mess. Where in some States police cannot question you on your legal status?
Governor Brewer and State Senator Pierce are right now defending their State in the courts from the Communist aggressive nutcases in the ACLU, or liberal progressives masquerading as Democrats. The Sanctuary State of California is weighed down with illegal invaders, so the taxpayers should repudiate any more demands for even more teachers. The occupation of foreigners has not impeded by Washington DC, Sacramento, CA. Salt Lake City, UT, Denver CO or any States East, that has an acute shortage of teachers because of this fundamental issue. So until all the lax States start legislating policing laws, as implemented by Arizona, Alabama and others the illegal alien invasion will be endless. States like refuge-California, Nevada will be bombarded by illegal migrant refugees, where policing laws are not being enforced. Every time non-enforcement States demand more taxes, Americans should not sign onto this travesty.
CALIFORNIA TAXPAYERS ESPECIALLY SHOULD STATE TO GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN, NO MORE TAXES TO HIRE MORE TEACHERS BECAUSE OF THE MASSIVE INFLUX OF CHILDREN OF ILLEGAL ALIENS.
It's all up to the hurting taxpayer, to say "Enough is enough" because otherwise legislators in particularly California, will keep bleeding you. Even now a committee in Sacramento eliminated new policing laws. Today Arizona will prosecute and deport illegal alien workers, if caught trespassing in that State. IT’S A SIMPLE ADMISSION THAT MILLIONS FROM OTHER HARD CORE POLICING STATES WILL POUR INTO UNRESTRICTED CALIFORNIA, NEVADA FURTHER NORTH AND OUTWARDS EAST.
In person I have seen the overcrowded classrooms in California and the overwhelmed Teachers as my own son was confronted with this chaos. No wonder California schools have failed in performance, whereas twenty years ago they topped exemplary learning. With no backbone available the lawmakers have failed the American people, to build the REAL fences, embracing mandated policing laws of E-Verify, Secure Communities and the detainment law 287 G, playing into the hands of sullied business owners. We are already locking away more foreign criminals of the most hideous examples of human depravity, which US taxpayers are paying for? Not forgetting with the border not sealed criminal activity has spilled across the open territory claiming it as their own. These people are coming up from the darkest recesses of cesspools in the furthest reaches of South America and other sewers of the world.
Only since the inception of the rising TEA PARTIES persona, have I thought we might have the prospect of ending this craziness, exploited by the Left, businesses and the open border zealots. Already the TEA PARTY is fighting the shadow government within the Democratic Party, to stop the out of control spending. Illegal Immigration is a pestilence that must be reduced and stopped; until its trickle; only allowing top notch skillful people to immigrate here. We have no money with two wars emanating from the Far East, and the uninhibited costs of educating the world’s poor that arrive here or having to pay for babies born here or free health care for all.
The taxpayers can either keep on supporting this silent attack on this nation, or they outlaw illegal immigration and its long term ramifications. Since the economic illegal invaders started eating up benefit entitlements some twenty years back, it’s remarkable that the general public hasn’t seen through paramount issue? Join NumbersUSA of any predominant pro-sovereignty organization and also prove your patriotism by becoming an activist member of a local TEA PARTY. They represent the taxpayers of the United States, not the-TAX AND SPEND Liberal extremists.
They scam every government program to get gov. benefits! A few in Colorado, a couple of yrs ago, filed their IRS tax forms. Filled out by another illegal. They reported they had so many kids, lied about everything...and between all those that filed, the IRS sent them checks equal to $1 million dollars! They didn't even have kids!
Our economy is in horrible shape, and our elite politicians continue to force citizens to fund illegals here....plus the billions they ship to foreign countries each year!
It's time to stop this! It is also time for foreign leaders to reform their own countries to help their OWN people!
They are NOT our responsibility!
Those "facts" do not exist. This is just one more "gator gonna getcher granny" invented "fact."
A fact that you will not like to hear is this:
Here are the statistics on welfare recipients:
Traits of families on AFDC (1)
Race
--------------
White 38.8%
Black 37.2
Hispanic 17.8
Asian 2.8
Other 3.4
another fact you will not like published:
To be eligible for welfare in the United States, an applicant must be a United States citizen or lawfully admitted to the country for permanent residence. Some exceptions may apply to citizenship rules. When an individual applies for welfare, his or her citizenship status is reviewed, along with the status of each household member, before assistance is granted. Each state has its own residency requirements as well. For example, to be eligible in Pennsylvania, an individual must be living within the state and have the intention of remaining there.
A social security number is required for receiving welfare benefits. This is required not just of adults, but also of children in an applying household. If someone in an applying household doesn’t have a social security number, the person must apply for one, provide proof of applying for a number, and give the number to his or her caseworker once it is issued. The caseworker may also require a copy of the person’s social security card.
Often, adults must meet certain work requirements in order to be eligible for welfare
th0se facts are from
http://www.wisegeek.com/who-is-eligible-for-welfare-in-the-united-states...
Allowing non citizens to use OUR tax money to live for free is now cost us, U.S., some $330 Billion a year...this from the CBO inself.
And they have the guts to write what the major welfare programs are. How can illegals recieve these programs without papers?
"The eight major welfare programs examined in the report were: SSI (Supplemental Security Income), TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), WIC (Women Infants and Children food program), free/reduced school lunch, Food Stamps, Medicaid, public housing and rent subsidies."
Is this study written by an expert or a reality twister. Is it a fact or fiction?
Interesting Kenric, they tell us there are a million illegals in Florida, but I believe it is far greater than that. I live in SW Florida and there HAS to be a million just in this area. We can't go anywhere without being surrounded by Hispanics. Anyone with any common sense can see there is one huge problem here.
They are loud people. They do not take care of their homes adequately to live among us and then they again are loud. They will never be the equal of the typical culture of middle America, or what once was middle America. They bring in drugs, diseases, lawlessness, and are bankrupting our hospitals (see new Mexico and Arizona). If they were good for Mexico, why isn't Mexico a better place? And why then are they good for us?
In CA none of the public assistance offices verify citizenship.
Since NONE of the government offices verify the citizenship, SSN or basic eligibility, or even try to track citizenship, we don't have a clue about the real numbers. This doesn't even count the ones that the assistance is for the anchor babies and the welfare office knows the parent(s) are here illegally.
In 1986 we were told the amnesty being passed would cover about 1 million illegal aliens. Ended up with 3 million being granted citizenship.
Now the government tells us that there are between 12 and 20 million illegal aliens in the country. How much do you want to bet that it is more like 36-60 million???
What we do know is E-verify's error rate. It is almost 50%, and it can go either way. It verifies illegals, and it also turns down legals.
there is a reason that no government agency uses E-verify. It is rife with inaccuracies. Why are we surprised that it is a failure. It is another government run program.
This is a terrible mess that we have, and there are no quick answers. We need total federal immigrant reform, and maybe the states need to pull together and demand that an amendment vote (state by state - like the ERA vote years ago) to demand that the feds make the changes at their level. REAL REFORM is what we need. These state bandaid approaches are just that. The illegals will scam the system and get around them, too.