America does not need to host tens of millions of legal immigrants on public assistance. Mass immigration = bankruptcy
- Cato Institute (2023 data, more recent briefing in 2026 context): Noncitizen immigrants (including legal temporary/green card and illegal) consumed about $125 billion in means-tested welfare and entitlement benefits. All immigrants (including naturalized) consumed ~$402 billion, but naturalized citizens are closer to natives in patterns. Noncitizens used far less per capita than natives.
- Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) (2024 data): High usage rates (e.g., ~61% of illegal immigrant households use at least one major welfare program), but no direct total dollar figure in recent reports; emphasizes higher rates than natives due to lower education/income and citizen children.
- Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) (2023 estimates): Federal expenditures on illegal immigrants totaled ~$66.5 billion (including ~$11.6 billion in welfare benefits like food stamps, child nutrition, SSI; plus medical and other costs). Net fiscal burden after taxes: higher.
- Other reports (e.g., House Budget Committee, older Heritage): Illegal immigration welfare-related costs in tens of billions annually, often $40–$100+ billion when including broader costs.
For context, total U.S. federal means-tested welfare/entitlement spending is around $800 billion–$1.2 trillion+ annually (excluding Social Security/Medicare, which are not means-tested welfare), with states adding hundreds of billions more.Here’s a simple text-based chart summarizing key recent estimates for annual spending on welfare/means-tested benefits attributable to immigrants (primarily federal, recent years ~2023–2025 data; figures approximate and vary by definition):
Category | Estimated Annual Amount | Source/Notes
----------------------------------|-------------------------|-------------
Noncitizen immigrants (legal temp + illegal) welfare consumption | ~$125 billion | Cato Institute (2023)
All immigrants (incl. naturalized) welfare/entitlement consumption | ~$402 billion | Cato Institute (2023; noncitizens much lower per capita)
Illegal immigrants: federal welfare benefits portion | ~$11–12 billion | FAIR (2023; narrow welfare; broader costs higher)
Illegal immigrants: total federal outlays (incl. medical/welfare) | ~$66 billion | FAIR (2023; net burden after taxes ~$50 billion)
Illegal immigrant households: average federal welfare benefits | ~$5,000–$6,000 per household | CIS/related analyses
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