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Aliens Use Welfare More
Than Natives Do
mmigrants
to the U.S., most of whom are from the world's poorest countries,
continue to use public welfare more than native-born Americans,
despite federal immigration laws that prohibit residency for
aliens likely to become "a public charge."
A new major study by welfare expert and Harvard economics Prof. George J. Borjas also shows that six years after the GOP's much-heralded 1996 Welfare Reform Act, the number of individuals on welfare has declined only slightly and that immigrant dependence on welfare is again on the rise.
"I would not be surprised if we saw after a few years that [welfare reform] had very little long-term effect," Borjas said.
His study, The Impact of Welfare Reform on Immigrant Welfare Use" was released by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) in Washington, D.C.
The study found that the number of native households receiving welfare assistance declined from 15.6 percent in 1994 to 13.5 percent in 1998, but grew to 13.7 percent in 2000. At the same time, reliance on welfare by foreigners in the U.S. declined from 23.4 percent to 20 percent in 1998, but rose to 21 percent in 2000, the last year studied.
Borjas said the rising use of welfare since 1998 are the result of state actions to fill the gaps when non-citizens were cut off some types of federal public assistance when the welfare reform act was passed in 1996.
Fox News reported that every state except Texas allowed immigrants to apply for food stamps, Supplemental Security Income for the elderly, and other cash forms of assistance.
As a result, taxpayers are providing similar levels of support for aliens, but through different government agencies.
California, whose population is 25 percent foreign-born, provides the most generous welfare assistance. The study found that in 2000, 26.7 percent of all immigrant households in the state are on welfare.
The study also found "strong evidence" that many immigrants sought citizenship as simply a means to retain welfare eligibility. "Those immigrants groups with the heaviest welfare use saw the largest increase in naturalization after welfare reform, further neutralizing its potential impact," CIS said.
Borjas suggested the study shows that it makes sense to revise immigration policy.
"If we are concerned about immigrant welfare use, it would probably make sense to select immigrants who don't need welfare in the first place, rather than trying to prevent immigrants from using it after they have already been allowed into the country," he said. "We could do this by selecting immigrants based more on their education levels rather than the current system, which for the most part admits immigrants based on whether they have a relative in the U.S."
mmigrants
to the U.S., most of whom are from the world's poorest countries,
continue to use public welfare more than native-born Americans,
despite federal immigration laws that prohibit residency for
aliens likely to become "a public charge."A new major study by welfare expert and Harvard economics Prof. George J. Borjas also shows that six years after the GOP's much-heralded 1996 Welfare Reform Act, the number of individuals on welfare has declined only slightly and that immigrant dependence on welfare is again on the rise.
"I would not be surprised if we saw after a few years that [welfare reform] had very little long-term effect," Borjas said.
His study, The Impact of Welfare Reform on Immigrant Welfare Use" was released by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) in Washington, D.C.
The study found that the number of native households receiving welfare assistance declined from 15.6 percent in 1994 to 13.5 percent in 1998, but grew to 13.7 percent in 2000. At the same time, reliance on welfare by foreigners in the U.S. declined from 23.4 percent to 20 percent in 1998, but rose to 21 percent in 2000, the last year studied.
Borjas said the rising use of welfare since 1998 are the result of state actions to fill the gaps when non-citizens were cut off some types of federal public assistance when the welfare reform act was passed in 1996.
Fox News reported that every state except Texas allowed immigrants to apply for food stamps, Supplemental Security Income for the elderly, and other cash forms of assistance.
As a result, taxpayers are providing similar levels of support for aliens, but through different government agencies.
California, whose population is 25 percent foreign-born, provides the most generous welfare assistance. The study found that in 2000, 26.7 percent of all immigrant households in the state are on welfare.
The study also found "strong evidence" that many immigrants sought citizenship as simply a means to retain welfare eligibility. "Those immigrants groups with the heaviest welfare use saw the largest increase in naturalization after welfare reform, further neutralizing its potential impact," CIS said.
Borjas suggested the study shows that it makes sense to revise immigration policy.
"If we are concerned about immigrant welfare use, it would probably make sense to select immigrants who don't need welfare in the first place, rather than trying to prevent immigrants from using it after they have already been allowed into the country," he said. "We could do this by selecting immigrants based more on their education levels rather than the current system, which for the most part admits immigrants based on whether they have a relative in the U.S."