Welfare Reform and Immigrants: Noncitizen Eligibility Restrictions, Vulnerable Immigrants, and the Social Service Providers

The welfare reform act of 1996 imposed restrictive welfare eligibility rules for noncitizens. As a result, noncitizens have more limited access to major public assistance programs than ever before. Existing studies document the dramatic impacts of these policy changes on immigrants, their communities, and service providers. Specifically, the percentages of noncitizens receiving public benefits declined sharply, reports of their hardships increased, and service providers were forced to provide additional services with fewer resources. From a long-term perspective, it is unlikely that eligibility restrictions have saved government spending and overall costs to society. These results call for policy changes on noncitizen eligibility restrictions.