Overview
The federal government and the states play critical roles in providing public benefits to immigrants. In some cases, those who meet all eligibility requirements can receive assistance through federal public benefits programs. States also manage an array of programs that may be available to certain immigrants.
This brief focuses on five major means-tested public benefits programs—nonemergency Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Supplemental Security Income—each of which has its own rules for determining eligibility and benefits. The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, commonly known as welfare reform, restricted federal benefits for many legal immigrants. That shift left states with the option to fill the gap and provide state-funded benefits programs for legal immigrants who became ineligible for federal programs.