Most benefit programs are limited to US citizens or qualified aliens.
Undocumented noncitizens are eligible for select programs including elementary and secondary education, some food assistance including WIC, and emergency assistance.
Some states use state funds to extend benefits to undocumented noncitizens, particularly health coverage for pregnant women and children
Children in households headed by single mothers experience poverty and receive public benefits more frequently than children raised in two parent households (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 2022).
Some programs with a focus on mothers with children include:
Neither program is limited to single mothers.
Federal law sets standards about who is eligible for federal public benefits, in most cases these are limited to U.S. citizens and qualified aliens (8 U.S. Code § 1611). There are additional requirements for some categories of qualified aliens, including waiting periods (8 U.S. Code § 1613).
Asylees, along with refugees, lawful permanent residents, and other categories of noncitizen are considered qualified aliens (8 U.S. Code § 1641). Asylees are eligible for benefits once asylum has been granted, not when an asylum claim has been made. They are also eligible for refugee benefits and services through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (Office of Refugee Resettlement).
Health: Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are generally (see “Undocumented noncitizens are eligible to receive some benefits.” below) limited to US citizens and qualified aliens.
Child Care: Programs funded out of the Child Care and Development Fund including the childcare subsidy in Missouri (MO Office of Childhood 2022) are limited to US citizens and qualified aliens, with the status of the child not the parent determining eligibility.
Food and Nutrition: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)is limited to US Citizens and some noncitizens, including asylees, refugees and, following a waiting period, lawful permanent residents (Food and Nutrition Service 2024).
Housing: Undocumented noncitizens are not eligible for federal rental assistance programs, including housing choice vouchers, public housing, or the rural rental assistance program (Congressional Research Service 2023).
Cash Assistance: Federally funded cash assistance and other benefits distributed through the TANF program are limited to US citizens and qualified aliens (Congressional Research Service 2022).
Health: While undocumented noncitizens are typically ineligible for Medicaid, they are eligible for Emergency Medicaid, which provides coverage for an emergency medical condition (MO Department of Social Services). Some states have expanded Medicaid and CHIP coverage regardless of immigration status, particularly to children and pregnant women (Pillai et al. 2024). The CHIP From-Conception-to-End-of-Pregnancy option provides pregnancy related coverage regardless of immigration status, an option 22 States (including MO) have taken up. Twelve states (not including MO) use state funds to extend coverage to children regardless of immigration status while NJ and VT also cover pregnant women (See Figure 1). CA, CO, IL, NY, OR, and WA provide varying degrees of coverage to some eligible adults regardless of immigration status.
Figure 1. Map of State-Funded Health Coverage for Children and Pregnant People Regardless of Immigration Status as of June 2024. Map Adapted from KFF (Pillai et al. 2024).
Food and Nutrition: Undocumented noncitizens are eligible for some food assistance programs. WIC is exempt from the citizenship requirements (Food and Consumer Service 1997) and in MO, noncitizens are eligible (St. Charles County). Noncitizens are also eligible for school and summer meals programs (Food and Nutrition Service 2024).
Housing: Programs offering emergency benefits, such as housing programs providing disaster relief or short-term shelters, are exempt from the qualified alien requirement (Congressional Research Service 2023).
Education: Undocumented noncitizens are eligible for public elementary and secondary education (MO Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 1998). Head Start programs are not required to verify immigration status (Administration for Children and Families 2008).
8 U.S. Code § 1611 - Aliens who are not qualified aliens ineligible for Federal public benefits https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1611
8 U.S. Code § 1613 - Five-year limited eligibility of qualified aliens for Federal means-tested public benefit Limited eligibility of qualified aliens for certain Federal programs https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/16123
8 U.S. Code § 1641 – Definitions https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1641
Administration for Children and Families (2008 May 2) Verification of Citizenship and Immigration Status by Non-Profit Organizations and Head Start Grantees. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/policy-guidance/verification-citizenship-and-immigration-status-non-profit-organizations-and
Congressional Research Service (2023) Noncitizen Eligibility for Federal Housing Programs. United States Congress. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46462
Congressional Research Service (2022) Unauthorized Immigrants’ Eligibility for Federal and State Benefits: Overview and Resources. United States Congress. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47318
Food and Consumer Service (1997) WIC Policy Memorandum 97-3. U. S. Department of Agriculture. https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/97-3-WICImmigrantParticipation.pdf
Food and Nutrition Service. (2024 Sep 25) Non-Citizen Communities. [accessed 2024 Sep 30] U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://www.fns.usda.gov/non-citizen-communities
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (1998 Jan) Guidelines regarding the use of social security numbers and the attendance at school of undocumented students. https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/undocumented-students-and-social-security-numbers
Missouri Department of Social Services. Emergency MO HealthNet Care for Ineligible Aliens (EMCIA) Manual. https://dssmanuals.mo.gov/emergency-mo-healthnet-care-for-ineligible-aliens/
Missouri Office of Childhood (2022) Child Care Subsidy Eligibility Policy Manual. Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/child-care-subsidy-eligibility-policy-manual-1
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2022 Apr 14) OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. U.S. Department of Justice [accessed Oct 2 2024] https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/statistical-briefing-book/population/faqs/qa01203#1-0
Office of Refugee Resettlement. Fact Sheet Asylees. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/orr/orr_fact_sheet_asylee.pdf
Pillai A, Pillai D, Artiga S. (2024 May 1) State Health Coverage for Immigrants and Implications for Health Coverage and Care. KFF. [Accessed 2024 Sep 30]. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/state-health-coverage-for-immigrants-and-implications-for-health-coverage-and-care.
St. Charles County. Women, Infants & Children (WIC) [accessed 2024 Sep 30]. https://www.sccmo.org/560/Women-Infants-Children-WIC
