Do undocumented immigrants receive public benefits?
• Undocumented immigrants are eligible for a small minority of state and federal benefits, such as emergency care and certain types of welfare. Undocumented immigrants are only eligible for public benefits that are considered important to public health and safety. In fact, many documented immigrants are also ineligible for most federal benefits. As a result, health care spending for immigrants is approximately half that of citizens. Source: The National Council of La Raza Q: What type of access do immigrants have to public benefits? • An immigrant’s access to federal public benefits depends on his or her immigration status and the date of entry into the U.S. Undocumented immigrants may only obtain emergency health care and very few other services. For legal permanent residents, eligibility for some benefits depends on whether they entered before or after the passage of the 1996 welfare law. Though immigrants share the obligation to pay taxes with native-born Americans, their access to
