U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget

The Center estimates that more than half of the illegal immigrant population resides in sanctuary jurisdictions, with more than one-fifth in California. These policies are a significant hindrance to immigration enforcement and a challenge to the supremacy clause of the Constitution. Equally important, they bring substantial costs to the community.

The Center for Immigration Studies hosted another in its Immigration Newsmaker series with a conversation with Rep. Brandon Gill.

Testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary

Although the Department of State made valuable corrections in visa processing after the 2001 terrorism attacks, in recent years, too many institutional practices that prioritize visa issuance over security have become the norm.

President Trump was left with no option other than to suspend entry from highly corrupt countries in order to prevent the further importation of cultures of corruption, since effective vetting is not possible. 

More remains to be done in order to ensure that future migrants are fully vetted, that they only come from the world’s least corrupt nations, and that they fully assimilate and build up the United States.

Using the 2024 Survey of Income and Program Participation, this analysis follows the Census Bureau’s standard definition of welfare and reports use of means-tested anti-poverty programs by households headed by immigrants and the U.S.-born.

The findings show that households headed by immigrants, also called the “foreign-born”, are significantly more likely to receive benefits than households headed by the U.S.-born.