The facts about United States immigrants and government benefits

Amidst common misinformation regarding immigrants and government benefits, it is important to know the facts.

Who qualifies for specific federal public benefits can be complex, based on a comprehensive checklist of eligibility criteria. The recent passage of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has further muddied the situation.

The facts about immigrants and federal public benefits, however, are much simpler.

Are undocumented immigrants eligible for federal healthcare benefits?

No. Undocumented immigrants do not have access to federally funded healthcare coverage, including Medicaid, Medicare or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

They also cannot purchase health insurance from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace.

Are there any exceptions where undocumented immigrants can still receive healthcare benefits?

Federal law mandates that hospitals must provide emergency care to everyone, regardless of their immigration status.

Non-citizens with low income who are ineligible for Medicare due to their immigration status can receive emergency treatment under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act of 1986. The federal Emergency Medicaid programme then reimburses the hospital for emergency medical services, limited only to those necessary to stabilise an individual at risk of permanent injury or death. Non-citizens do not receive any direct benefits from Emergency Medicaid; only the hospital does.

However, due to new restrictions in President Trump’s OBBBA, states will receive less federal funding for these emergency services starting from 1 October 2026.

New Medicaid restrictions for legal immigrants

Starting from 1 October 2026, the OBBBA will restrict Medicaid eligibility for green card holders, certain Cuban-Haitian entrants, and people living in the United States under the Compact of Free Association, known as COFA citizens.

Previously eligible non-citizens will also lose access to Medicaid coverage under the OBBBA, including but not limited to those granted asylum or refugee status, those granted humanitarian parole, and certain victims of domestic violence and human trafficking who have been granted immigration status.

Are undocumented immigrants eligible for SNAP benefits?

No, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for federal benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamp programme.

However, SNAP benefits are provided to households rather than individuals. If, for example, the head of the household is undocumented, they can still apply for SNAP benefits for their United States citizen children. But benefits are calculated based on the number of eligible people in the household, so support only covers the United States citizen children – not the entire household.

Can other immigrants receive SNAP benefits?

Yes, but the majority must wait many years before they are eligible. After receiving a green card, eligible immigrants must endure a five-year waiting period before they can apply for SNAP support, with limited exceptions.

Since the passage of the OBBBA, only green card holders, Cuban-Haitian entrants and COFA citizens can apply for SNAP benefits. Under the Act’s new restrictions, certain categories of non-citizens – refugees, asylees, parolees and victims of human trafficking – are no longer permitted to apply.

Many immigrants avoid applying for benefits even when they are eligible. The first Trump administration’s “public charge” rule saw families in mixed-status households unenroll from public benefits to which they were entitled. Many feared it would affect their chances of receiving a green card or visa in the future.

The Trump administration has since reinstated the public charge rule. If history repeats itself, we will see more people in mixed-status households lacking the food support they need due to this environment of fear.

Do undocumented immigrants receive Social Security benefits?

No. Like most federal programmes, Social Security is limited to United States citizens and specific groups of immigrants with legal status.

While undocumented immigrants paid US$26.2 billion into the Social Security Trust Fund in 2023 – just a portion of the estimated US$89.8 billion they paid that year in total federal, state and local taxes – most undocumented immigrants will never receive these benefits.

Immigrants contributing to healthcare benefits

The Social Security Administration has even acknowledged that “the presence of unauthorised workers in the United States, on average, has a positive impact on the financial status of the Social Security programme.”

During times of economic instability, bad actors often point the finger at a common scapegoat: immigrants. But as the data shows, immigrants are not a burden on public benefits, and in many cases, they bolster the very benefits they are accused of exploiting.