Many Americans who are struggling to provide for their families ask, "Why do illegal immigrants receive free food stamps, and health insurance when they don't pay taxes?" Generally, illegal aliens are not supposed to receive benefits meant for American citizens, except for emergency medical care, but that doesn't mean that they don't apply for and receive them.
Each year, scores of Illegal immigrants receive food stamps, WIC, emergency healthcare, health insurance, college educations, driver's licenses, voter registration (illegally) unemployment benefits, tax credits from state and federal agencies, and much more.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that at least one third of immigrants in the United States are illegal aliens. One major issue is that when an illegal alien gives birth to a child in the United States, the child automatically becomes a U.S. citizen, which makes them eligible for benefits. The U.S. government does not want to separate these families by deporting the child's parents, who are in the U.S. illegally.
Entering the U.S. With Fraudulent Documents
One common way that illegal aliens enter the U.S. is by supplying forged documents, which is a form of immigration fraud. When the people working at port authorities, border crossings, and international airports fail to catch the fake documents, the illegal alien can enter the U.S. without incident.
The illegal alien enters the U.S. and then purchases forged documents, which says that the illegal alien is a U.S. citizen. If the employees at state and federal agencies don't notice that the documents are forged, the illegal alien may receive benefits, such as food stamps, welfare, and health insurance.
They will also be allowed to apply for a driver's license and register to vote in federal elections. However, these are serious crimes and if caught, lead to serious consequences.
To effectively reduce the prevalence of immigration fraud, we need to improve our own security measures, especially as it pertains to verifying immigration status and recognizing fraudulent documents, both of which contribute to illegal aliens receiving government benefits.
If you are an immigrant who wishes to obtain a visa or a green card, contact an immigration attorney in our directory!