Federal funding for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also called food stamps, runs out on Saturday due to the government shutdown. The funding cut-off will hit illegal immigrants hard. The Center’s 2023 analysis of government survey data shows households headed by illegal immigrants make extensive use of the welfare system, particularly food assistance programs.
Among our prior findings:
- Of households headed by illegal immigrants, CIS estimated that 59 percent use one or more welfare programs — cash, food assistance, Medicaid, or housing.
- Illegal immigrant households have especially high use of food programs, with 48 percent enrolled in one or more of these programs — SNAP, WIC, or school lunch/breakfast.
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