Where Data Tells the Story
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Federal programs such as Medicaid, Social Security, and food assistance (e.g., SNAP) have strict eligibility rules that are often based on income or work history. For immigrants, there’s typically another requirement: an eligible immigration status.
Since 1996, access to many federal programs has been limited to citizens and people that the law defines as “qualified aliens” — such as green card holders, refugees, and asylees. In 2025, a series of changes, most tied to legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), modified access for several groups.
Many immigrants living in the US are here with the government’s knowledge and permission. This includes foreign-born naturalized citizens, people with green cards (also known as lawful permanent residents), those granted humanitarian protections like people with refugee or asylee status, work and student visa holders, and individuals who are waiting for a decision on their application for asylum. It also includes recipients of DACA, who came to the US as minors and currently have temporary protection from deportation.
Though the aforementioned groups are legally allowed to be in the United States, not all are eligible for government benefit programs. In general, only people authorized to be in the US for an extended period of time, such as green card holders and sometimes refugees and asylees, are eligible. Immigrants with temporary or pending statuses, even if they’re authorized to live or work in the US, are typically excluded.
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