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In recent years, public concern about illegal immigration has often focused on the costs associated with illegal aliens’ use of public benefits and the extent to which these benefits serve as an incentive for immigration. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) further restricted the limited access of illegal aliens to federal public benefits and limited their access to state and local public benefits. The act also requires us to report on the extent to which means-tested public benefits are provided to illegal aliens for the use of eligible individuals. This is most likely to occur when an illegal alien parent not eligible for aid receives benefits on behalf of his or her U.S. citizen child. A child born in the United States to an illegal alien obtains U.S. citizenship at birth regardless of the parent’s immigration status and, as any other citizen in need, may receive welfare and other benefits. When such a child receives assistance, the aid also helps support the child’s family, raising concerns about the use of public assistance by those illegally in the United States.
This report responds to the mandate for information on the extent to which this occurs and discusses 1) to what extent and in what locations selected federal means-tested benefits are being provided to illegal aliens for the use of their U.S. citizen children, and 2) the nature and extent of fraud or misrepresentation detected in connection with these benefits.
Of the many federal means-tested programs, we focused on the four largest programs: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), the Food Stamp program, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Department and Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
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