Number: RL33809
Title: Noncitizen Eligibility for Federal Public Assistance: Policy Overview and Trends
Authors: Ruth Ellen Wasem, Domestic Social Policy Division 
Abstract: This report deals with the four major federal means-tested benefit programs: the Food Stamp program, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant programs, and Medicaid. Laws in place for the past decade restrict the eligibility of legal permanent residents (LPRs), refugees, asylees, and other noncitizens for means-tested public aid. Noncitizens' eligibility for major federal means-tested benefits largely depends on their immigration status, whether they arrived (or were on a program's rolls) before August 22, 1996, the enactment date of P.L. 104-193, and how long they have lived and worked in the United States.
Pages: 25
Date: February 1, 2008