source-library/immigration/public_benefits.md

Public Benefits

Immigrants use less public benefits than native citizens

• CATO: Ku and Bruen 13
  • Poor immigrants use public benefits at a lower rate than poor native-born citizens
  • MEDICARE/MEDICAID
    • More than one quarter of native citizens and naturalized citizens in poverty receive Medicaid, but only about one in five non-citizens do so.
    • Immigrants who receive Medicaid or CHIP tend to have lower per beneficiary medical expenditures than native-born people
  • SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION
    • 33% of native citizens, 25 percent of naturalized citizens, and 29 percent of non-citizens received SNAP benefits in 2011
  • SSI / INCOME
    • SSI receipt was higher for native and naturalized citizens than non-citizen immigrants.