Report: Immigrants’ reliance on welfare has tripled in past decade

by WorldTribune Staff, April 24, 2018

The number of immigrants on U.S. welfare rolls has tripled over the last 10 years, according to a new study.

“Welfare and Medicaid use by new immigrants, even those with college degrees, has surged to new levels, an indication that the jobs they came to America to take aren’t there,” Paul Bedard wrote for the Washington Examiner, citing an analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies.

Steven Camarota, the center’s director of research and the study’s lead author, said the rise in immigrants on welfare and Medicaid happened despite an increase in education levels. The study also found new immigrants are twice as likely to live in poverty as native born Americans.

Key findings in the report:

  • The share of new immigrants in poverty was slightly higher in 2017 than in 2007, and the gap with natives widened slightly. Overall, new immigrants remained twice as likely to live in poverty as natives.
  • In 2007, 6 percent of new immigrants were on Medicaid; by 2017 it was 17 percent. The share of natives on Medicaid increased from 7 percent to 13 percent.
  • The share of new immigrants living in households receiving food stamps roughly tripled from 4 percent to 13 percent from 2007 to 2017. Among natives, food stamp use increased from about 6 percent to 10 percent.

The full report, titled Better Educated, But Not Better Off, can be viewed here


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