RL32363 -- State Policies on Immigrant Eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)


April 23, 2004






CONTENTS

<font size="+1">List of Tables</font>

Table 1. Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) Admitted FY1988-FY2002 by State of Intended Residence

Table 2. Summary of State Policies on LPR Eligibility for TANF: 2000 and 2002

Table 3. Summary of State Policies on Asylee and Refugee Eligibility for TANF: 2000 and 2002

Table 4. Use of State and Federal Funding for Optional TANF Assistance to Noncitizens by State, 2000 and 2002

Table 5. State Use of MOE Funds in 2002 to Assist Noncitizens During Periods of Federal Ineligibility and Optional State Eligibility

Table 6. Percentage of Adult TANF Recipients Who Are Noncitizens by State, FY2001




Summary

The eligibility of immigrants for major public assistance programs is an ongoing issue in Congress. Prior to 1996, immigrants, i.e., legal permanent residents (LPRs), were eligible for federal public assistance under terms comparable to citizens, and states were not permitted to restrict access to federal programs on the basis of immigration status. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) -- the original law authorizing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program -- dramatically changed noncitizen eligibility for public assistance. It restricted the eligibility of LPRs, refugees, asylees, and other noncitizens for all means-tested public aid. Aliens in the United States without authorization, commonly referred to as "illegal aliens," remained ineligible for federal public assistance. As Congress considers the reauthorization of the welfare reform law, the issue of state options to restrict or expand assistance to immigrants arises.

The 1996 welfare reform act gave states several options of placing further restrictions on noncitizen eligibility or of expanding benefits to noncitizens. LPRs who entered the United States after August 22, 1996, are barred from TANF for five years, after which their coverage becomes a state option. This five-year bar, however, does not apply to LPRs who entered the United States as refugees and asylees. Refugees and asylees who meet the other program criteria are eligible for TANF for the first five years they are in the United States. After this period of time, refugees and asylees are only eligible for TANF at state option.

Many states have been exercising one or more of these options to extend coverage to certain classes of LPRs. As of December 2002, 34 states reported that they are exercising the option to provide TANF to LPRs after the five-year bar ends. Thirty-five states reported that they have exercised the option to provide TANF to LPRs present in the United States before August 1996. Furthermore, 34 states reported that they provide TANF to asylees and refugees who were residing in the United States at the time of the welfare reform act's passage in 1996. Only 27 states, however, reported that they provide TANF to asylees and refugees who have surpassed the five-year limit for TANF.

In terms of funding, 27 states and Washington, D.C. reported that they used their own funds as well as federal funds in 2000 and 2002 to cover the costs of providing TANF to those LPRs who were in the United States prior to the passage of the 1996 welfare reform act. An important source of funding for state assistance to noncitizens comes from the TANF "maintenance of effort" (MOE) requirement. In 2002, 17 states reported using their state MOE money to provide public assistance to newly arriving LPRs who are barred from federal TANF for the first five years. Six states reported using their state MOE money in 2002 to provide TANF to LPRs who had exhausted their eligibility or were currently barred. Eight states reported contributing their state MOE money in 2002 to a separate program for those LPRs who were excluded or whose eligibility had expired. This report may be updated if new data become available.




Background

Introduction

Immigrant eligibility for major public assistance programs is an ongoing issue in Congress. (1) Prior to 1996, legal permanent residents (LPRs) were eligible for federal public assistance under terms comparable to citizens, and states were not permitted to restrict access to federal programs on the basis of immigration status. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) -- the original law authorizing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program -- dramatically changed noncitizen eligibility for public assistance. It restricted the eligibility of LPRs, refugees, asylees, and other noncitizens for means-tested public aid. These provisions ranged from categorical eligibility bars to new rules governing aliens with sponsors and their sponsors' responsibilities. (2) Aliens in the United States without authorization, commonly referred to as "illegal aliens," remained ineligible federal public assistance.

Although the federal government retains exclusive responsibility for immigration policy, federal law now permits states to differentiate among types of noncitizens when setting welfare policy. The 1996 welfare reform act gave states several options of placing further restrictions on noncitizen eligibility. It also gave them options of expanding benefits to noncitizens. (3) As Congress considers the reauthorization of the welfare reform law, the issue of state options to restrict or expand assistance to noncitzens arises.

After outlining the options states have to cover noncitzens under TANF and presenting data on the number of LPRs in each state, this report studies whether and which states have exercised these options regarding noncitizen eligibility for TANF. It investigates how states are funding the assistance provided to noncitizens, and also analyzes TANF receipt by state.

Current Federal Eligibility Policy

Under current law, noncitizens' eligibility for TANF largely depends on their immigration status and whether they arrived (or were on a program's rolls) before August 22, 1996, the enactment date of P.L. 104-193. The TANF eligibility policies laid out by the 1996 welfare reform act remain essentially unchanged for noncitizens entering after its enactment. The basic federal rules are as follows: (4)

Nonimmigrants (e.g., temporary alien residents) and unauthorized aliens (i.e., illegal aliens) are barred from TANF, as they were barred from its predecessor, Aid for Families with Dependent Children.

Legal Permanent Residents by State

The state residential patterns of the almost 14.5 million aliens who became LPRs in the United States from FY1988 through FY2002 provide a gauge of the relative effect of these policies across the states. Although a substantial number of people who are currently LPRs came to the United States before 1988, many others who came prior to 1988 have become U.S. citizens. All LPRs are eligible to become citizens through the naturalization process after they have lived here for five years as LPRs (three years in the case of spouses of U.S. citizens). (8) Estimates of the naturalization rate range from 30% to 49%, and the median number of years between becoming an LPR and naturalizing as a U.S. citizen varies from eight to 10 years (for those who opt to naturalize). (9)

Immigrants are concentrated in several states; indeed over half of all new LPRs from FY1988 through FY2002 indicated that they intended to live in just three states: California, New York, and Texas. (10) As Table 1 presents, California dominates with 4,561,693 new LPRs, which is 31.5% of all new LPRs during this period. New York follows with 2,001,439 new LPRs (13.8%). Interestingly, both California and New York had a slightly smaller percentage of all new LPRs during the 1997-2002 period (26.1% and 12.8%, respectively) than during 1988-1996 period (34.4% and 14.3%, respectively), suggesting a somewhat wider dispersion of new LPRs to other states. Almost 80% of all new LPRs reported their intended state of residence in one of 10 states: California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington, and Maryland. The only other states with more than 1% of all new LPRs reporting intended residence are: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Connecticut, and Ohio.

Table 1. Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) Admitted FY1988-FY2002 by State of Intended Residence

State of intended residence 1988-1996  1997-2002  1988-2002 
Number  Percent  Number  Percent  Number  Percent 
Alabama 17,601 0.2% 11,227 0.2% 28,828 0.2%
Alaska 10,643.00 0.1% 7,465 0.1% 18,108 0.1%
Arizona 133,625 1.4% 69,571 1.4% 203,196 1.4%
Arkansas 11,496 0.1% 9,985 0.2% 21,481 0.1%
California 3,235,089 34.4% 1,326,604 26.1% 4,561,693 31.5%
Colorado 71,185 0.8% 53,773 1.1% 124,958 0.9%
Connecticut 89,596 1.0% 59,932 1.2% 149,528 1.0%
Delaware 9,776 0.1% 8,519 0.2% 18,295 0.1%
District of Columbia 36,171 0.4% 16,192 0.3% 52,363 0.4%
Florida 648,690 6.9% 493,692 9.7% 1,142,382 7.9%
Georgia 104,234 1.1% 87,236 1.7% 191,470 1.3%
Hawaii 71,475 0.8% 34,503 0.7% 105,978 0.7%
Idaho 19,020 0.2% 11,311 0.2% 30,331 0.2%
Illinois 463,326 4.9% 239,973 4.7% 703,299 4.9%
Indiana 32,467 0.3% 28,421 0.6% 60,888 0.4%
Iowa 21,354 0.2% 19,873 0.4% 41,227 0.3%
Kansas 31,305 0.3% 22,396 0.4% 53,701 0.4%
Kentucky 15,945 0.2% 17,711 0.3% 33,656 0.2%
Louisiana 34,723 0.4% 17,553 0.3% 52,276 0.4%
Maine 7,890 0.1% 5,682 0.1% 13,572 0.1%
Maryland 144,367 1.5% 113,772 2.2% 258,139 1.8%
Massachusetts 205,674 2.2% 132,429 2.6% 338,103 2.3%
Michigan 119,002 1.3% 102,408 2.0% 221,410 1.5%
Minnesota 62,932 0.7% 54,529 1.1% 117,461 0.8%
Mississippi 8,183 0.1% 6,095 0.1% 14,278 0.1%
Missouri 37,628 0.4% 34,228 0.7% 71,856 0.5%
Montana 4,408 0.0% 2,386 0.0% 6,794 0.0%
Nebraska 15,592 0.2% 14,713 0.3% 30,305 0.2%
Nevada 50,070 0.5% 47,896 0.9% 97,966 0.7%
New Hampshire 11,111 0.1% 10,757 0.2% 21,868 0.2%
New Jersey 429,459 4.6% 268,024 5.3% 697,483 4.8%
New Mexico 51,020 0.5% 19,833 0.4% 70,853 0.5%
New York 1,349,181 14.3% 652,258 12.8% 2,001,439 13.8%
North Carolina 62,719 0.7% 54,221 1.1% 116,940 0.8%
North Dakota 4,498 0.0% 3,075 0.1% 7,573 0.1%
Ohio 78,444 0.8% 60,604 1.2% 139,048 1.0%
Oklahoma 33,213 0.4% 20,113 0.4% 53,326 0.4%
Oregon 73,736 0.8% 49,147 1.0% 122,883 0.8%
Pennsylvania 140,673 1.5% 99,071 2.0% 239,744 1.7%
Rhode Island 27,553 0.3% 14,990 0.3% 42,543 0.3%
South Carolina 19,852 0.2% 14,459 0.3% 34,311 0.2%
South Dakota 3,974 0.0% 3,240 0.1% 7,214 0.0%
Tennessee 30,548 0.3% 26,580 0.5% 57,128 0.4%
Texas 875,349 9.3% 390,238 7.7% 1,265,587 8.7%
Utah 30,153 0.3% 23,610 0.5% 53,763 0.4%
Vermont 5,383 0.1% 4,408 0.1% 9,791 0.1%
Virginia 158,771 1.7% 122,481 2.4% 281,252 1.9%
Washington 158,358 1.7% 115,897 2.3% 274,255 1.9%
West Virginia 5,495 0.1% 3,131 0.1% 8,626 0.1%
Wisconsin 41,962 0.4% 29,974 0.6% 71,936 0.5%
Wyoming 3,092 0.0% 1,501 0.0% 4,593 0.0%
Guam 20,954 0.2% 10,623 0.2% 31,577 0.2%
N. Mariana Islands 1,051 0.0% 729 0.0% 1,780 0.0%
Puerto Rico 67,192 0.7% 20,362 0.4% 87,554 0.6%
U.S. Virgin Islands 14,920 0.2% 7,218 0.1% 22,138 0.2%
Other or unknown 4,518 0.0% 653 0.0% 5,171 0.0%
Total  9,416,646  --   5,077,254  --   14,493,900  --  

Source: CRS analysis of Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics data.

The LPR data in Table 1 has several limitations, the most obvious being that "intended residence" does not take into account people who subsequently move. The data also, as noted earlier, do not include LPRs who arrived before 1988 and do not exclude LPRs who have since become U.S. citizens.

State Policies and Funding

Options Under TANF

States may permit or prohibit participation by LPRs who entered the United States before enactment of the welfare law (August 22, 1996) from TANF. LPRs entering the United States after August 22, 1996, are barred for five years from all benefits under TANF, food stamps, Medicaid (except emergency medical assistance), and the Social Services block grant. LPRs ineligible for TANF, however, may receive state-funded benefits if they meet other program requirements. After five years, the decision as to whether LPRs may participate in TANF (as well as Medicaid and the Social Services block grant) rests with the states. Many states, as discussed below, offer public assistance to LPRs not eligible for federally financed benefits.

The five-year bar discussed previously does not apply to refugees and asylees. Refugees and asylees who meet the other program criteria are eligible for TANF benefits for five years. After this period of time, refugees and asylees are eligible for TANF at state option, provided they are otherwise eligible for TANF.

State Policies in 2000 and 2002

During the fall of 2002 and winter of 2003, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) conducted the State Noncitizen Eligibility Survey (SNES), a two-phase survey of state eligibility policies on noncitizen eligibility for public assistance as of December 2000 and December 2002. CRS sent questionnaires to state officials responsible for TANF in all 50 states and outlying areas. The nine states and four outlying areas that did not respond to the TANF portion of SNES are indicated in the following tables as "NR" for no response. If a state official responded to the survey, but did not answer a particular question on the survey, it is noted as "skip." (11)

As of December 2002, 34 states and Washington, D.C. reported that they were exercising the option to provide TANF to LPRs after the five-year bar ends. Thirty-five states and Washington, D.C. reported that they have exercised the option to provide TANF to LPRs present in the United States before August 1996. Table 2 summarizes two major options that states may exercise on LPR eligibility for TANF and whether they opted for these policies in 2000 and 2002. As Table 2 indicates, there was no noteworthy change in state policies from 2000 to 2002.

Table 2. Summary of State Policies on LPR Eligibility for TANF: 2000 and 2002

State or outlying areas LPRs present in the U.S. before August 22, 1996 eligible for TANF at state option? LPRs present in the U.S. on or after August 22, 1996 and federally barred from TANF for five years eligible for TANF after the bar expired?
2000  2002  2000  2002 
Alabama Yes Yes Yes Yes
Alaska Yes Yes Yes Yes
American Samoa  NR NR NR NR
Arizona Yes Yes Yes Yes
Arkansas Yes Yes Yes Yes
California Yes Yes Yes Yes
Colorado Yes Yes Yes Yes
Connecticut Yes Yes Yes Yes
Delaware NR NR NR NR
District of Columbia Yes Yes Yes Yes
Florida Yes Yes Yes Yes
Georgia Yes Yes Yes Yes
Guam  NR NR NR NR
Hawaii No No Skip Skip
Idaho No No Skip Skip
Illinois Yes Yes Yes Yes
Indiana NR NR NR NR
Iowa Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kansas Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kentucky Yes Yes Yes Yes
Louisiana Yes Yes Yes Yes
Maine NR NR NR NR
Maryland Yes Yes Yes Yes
Massachusetts NR NR NR NR
Michigan NR NR NR NR
Minnesota Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mississippi No No Yes Yes
Missouri Yes Yes Skip Skip
Montana Yes Yes No No
Nebraska NR NR NR NR
Nevada NR NR NR NR
New Hampshire NR NR NR NR
New Jersey NR NR NR NR
New Mexico Yes Yes Yes Yes
New York Yes Yes Yes Yes
North Carolina Yes Yes Yes Yes
North Dakota No No Yes Yes
N. Mariana Islands  NR NR NR NR
Ohio No No Skip Skip
Oklahoma Yes Yes Yes Yes
Oregon Yes Yes NR Yes
Pennsylvania Yes Yes Yes Yes
Puerto Rico  NR NR NR NR
Rhode Island Yes Yes Yes Yes
South Carolina Yes Yes Skip Skip
South Dakota Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tennessee Yes Yes Yes Yes
Texas Yes Yes No No
Utah Yes Yes Yes Yes
U.S. Virgin Islands  No No Skip Skip
Vermont Yes Yes Yes Yes
Virginia Yes Yes Yes Yes
Washington Yes Yes Yes Yes
West Virginia Yes Yes Yes Yes
Wisconsin Yes Yes Yes Yes
Wyoming No No Yes Yes

Source: CRS analysis of the State Noncitizen Eligibility Survey (SNES), Jan. 2003.

As Table 3 indicates, 34 states and Washington, D.C. reported that they provide TANF to asylees and refugees who were residing in the United States at the time of the welfare reform act's passage in 1996. Only 27 states and Washington, D.C., however, reported that they provide TANF to asylees and refugees who have surpassed the five-year limit for TANF and two reported that they did not. It is important to note that several states skipped this question on the survey. Only West Virginia reported a change in policy of providing TANF in 2000 but not in 2002 to asylees and refugees who were residing in the United States at the time of the welfare reform act's passage.

Table 3. Summary of State Policies on Asylee and Refugee Eligibility for TANF: 2000 and 2002

State outlying areas Asylees and refugees present in the U.S. before August 22, 1996 eligible for TANF at state option? Asylees and refugees federally barred from TANF after first five years eligible for TANF at state option?
2000  2002  2000  2002 
Alabama Yes Yes No No
Alaska Yes Yes Yes Yes
American Samoa  NR  NR NR NR
Arizona Yes Yes Yes Yes
Arkansas Yes Yes Skip Skip
California Yes Yes Yes Yes
Colorado Yes Yes Skip Yes
Connecticut Yes Yes Yes Yes
Delaware NR NR NR NR
District of Columbia Yes Yes Yes Yes
Florida Yes Yes Yes Yes
Georgia Yes Yes Yes Yes
Guam  NR NR NR NR
Hawaii Skip Skip Skip Skip
Idaho Skip Skip Skip Skip
Illinois Yes Yes Yes Yes
Indiana NR NR NR NR
Iowa Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kansas Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kentucky Yes Yes Yes Yes
Louisiana Yes Yes Yes Yes
Maine NR NR NR NR
Maryland Yes Yes Yes Yes
Massachusetts NR NR NR NR
Michigan NR NR NR NR
Minnesota Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mississippi Skip Skip Skip Skip
Missouri Yes Yes Skip Skip
Montana Yes Yes Skip Skip
Nebraska NR NR NR NR
Nevada NR NR NR NR
New Hampshire NR NR NR NR
New Jersey NR NR NR NR
New Mexico Yes Yes Yes Yes
New York Yes Yes No No
North Carolina Yes Yes Yes Yes
North Dakota Skip Skip Skip Skip
N. Mariana Islands  NR NR NR NR
Ohio Skip Skip Skip Skip
Oklahoma Yes Yes Yes Yes
Oregon Yes Yes Yes Yes
Pennsylvania Yes Yes Yes Yes
Puerto Rico  NR NR NR NR
Rhode Island Yes Yes Yes Yes
South Carolina Yes Yes Skip Skip
South Dakota Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tennessee Yes Yes Yes Yes
Texas Yes Yes Skip Skip
Utah Yes Yes Yes Yes
U.S. Virgin Islands  Skip Skip Skip Skip
Vermont Yes Yes Skip Skip
Virginia Yes Yes Yes Yes
Washington Yes Yes Yes Yes
West Virginia Yes No Skip Skip
Wisconsin Yes Yes Yes Yes
Wyoming Skip Skip Yes Yes

Source: CRS analysis of the State Noncitizen Eligibility Survey (SNES), Jan. 2003.

Funding Sources for Noncitizens

A total of 27 states and Washington, D.C. reported that they used their own funds as well as federal funds in 2000 and 2002 to cover the costs of providing TANF to those LPRs who were in the United States prior to the passage of the 1996 welfare reform act. Twenty-six states and the U.S. Virgin Islands reported that they used their own funds as well as federal funds in 2000 and 2002 to cover the costs of providing TANF to those LPRs who were excluded (e.g., barred first five years in U.S.) or whose eligibility had expired (e.g., refugees after five years in U.S.). Presumably, those LPRs barred from federal TANF (e.g., first five years in the U.S.) were covered by state funds, and federal funds were used to cover those LPRs whom the states had the option to cover federally (e.g., refugees after five years in U.S.). As Table 4 indicates only 22 states reported that they opted to provide TANF to those LPRs in the United States prior to the passage of the 1996 welfare reform act as well as those LPRs who were excluded or whose eligibility had expired.

Table 4. Use of State and Federal Funding for Optional TANF Assistance to Noncitizens by State, 2000 and 2002

State or outlying areas  Both federal and state TANF funds used to assist noncitizens present in the U.S. before August 22, 1996 Both federal and state TANF funds used to assist noncitizens after period of eligibility or during period of exclusion
2000  2002  2000  2002 
Alabama Yes Yes Yes Yes
Alaska Yes Yes Yes Yes
American Samoa  NR NR NR NR
Arizona Yes Yes Yes Yes
Arkansas Yes Yes Yes Yes
California No No No No
Colorado Yes Yes Skip No
Connecticut No No Yes Yes
Delaware NR NR NR NR
District of Columbia Yes Yes Skip Skip
Florida No No No No
Georgia Yes Yes Yes Yes
Guam  NR NR NR NR
Hawaii Skip Skip Yes Yes
Idaho Skip Skip Skip Skip
Illinois Yes Yes Yes Yes
Indiana NR NR NR NR
Iowa Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kansas Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kentucky Yes Yes Yes Yes
Louisiana Yes Yes Skip Skip
Maine NR NR NR NR
Maryland Yes Yes No No
Massachusetts NR NR NR NR
Michigan NR NR NR NR
Minnesota Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mississippi Skip Skip Skip Skip
Missouri No No Yes Yes
Montana Yes Yes Yes Yes
Nebraska NR NR NR NR
Nevada NR NR NR NR
New Hampshire NR NR NR NR
New Jersey NR NR NR NR
New Mexico Yes Yes Yes Yes
New York Yes Yes Yes Yes
North Carolina Yes Yes Yes Yes
North Dakota Skip Skip Skip Skip
N. Mariana Islands  NR NR NR NR
Ohio Skip Skip Skip Skip
Oklahoma Yes Yes Yes Yes
Oregon Yes Yes Yes Yes
Pennsylvania Yes Yes Yes Yes
Puerto Rico  NR NR NR NR
Rhode Island No No Yes Yes
South Carolina No No Skip Skip
South Dakota Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tennessee Yes Yes No No
Texas Yes Yes Yes Yes
Utah No No No No
U.S. Virgin Islands  Skip Skip Yes Yes
Vermont Yes Yes Yes Yes
Virginia Yes Yes Yes Yes
Washington Yes Yes Yes Yes
West Virginia Yes Yes Skip Skip
Wisconsin No No No No
Wyoming Skip Skip Skip Skip

Source: CRS analysis of the State Noncitizen Eligibility Survey (SNES), Jan. 2003.

An important source of funding for state assistance to noncitizens comes from the "maintenance of effort" (MOE) requirement. MOE refers to the amount of the state's own money it must spend to comply with the TANF requirement that the states must continue to spend at least 75% of the total they spent in 1994 for the specific programs that were folded into the TANF block grant. Nationally, the MOE funds total $10.4 billion, as compared to $16.5 billion in TANF grants. Among the variety of authorized uses for MOE funds are expenditures for persons ineligible for TANF because of the citizenship and immigrant rules. (12)

As of December 2002, 17 states reported using their state MOE money to provide public assistance to newly arriving LPRs who are barred from federal TANF for the first five years, as listed in Table 5. Six states reported using their state MOE money in 2002 to provide TANF to LPRs who had exhausted their eligibility or were currently barred: California, Colorado, Florida, New York, Utah, and Washington. Eight states reported contributing their state MOE money in 2002 to a separate program for those LPRs who were excluded (e.g., barred first five years) or whose eligibility had expired (e.g., refugees after five years): California, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin.

Table 5. State Use of MOE Funds in 2002 to Assist Noncitizens During Periods of Federal Ineligibility and Optional State Eligibility

State or outlying areas During five-year federal bar from TANF assisted by using state MOE money? After period of eligibility or during period of exclusion assisted by state MOE money contributed to the TANF program? After period of eligibility or during period of exclusion assisted by state MOE money contributed to separate program?
Alabama Skip No No
Alaska Skip No No
American Samoa  NR NR NR
Arizona Skip No No
Arkansas Skip No No
California Yes Yes Yes
Colorado Yes Yes No
Connecticut Yes No No
Delaware NR NR NR
District of Columbia Skip Skip Skip
Florida Skip Yes No
Georgia Yes No Yes
Guam  NR NR NR
Hawaii Yes No Yes
Idaho Skip Skip Skip
Illinois No No No
Indiana NR NR NR
Iowa Skip No No
Kansas Skip No No
Kentucky Skip No No
Louisiana Skip Skip Skip
Maine NR NR NR
Maryland Yes No Yes
Massachusetts NR NR NR
Michigan NR NR NR
Minnesota Yes No No
Mississippi Skip Skip Skip
Missouri Yes No No
Montana Skip No No
Nebraska NR NR NR
Nevada NR NR NR
New Hampshire NR NR NR
New Jersey NR NR NR
New Mexico No No No
New York Yes Yes No
North Carolina No No No
North Dakota Skip Skip Skip
N. Mariana Islands  NR NR NR
Ohio Skip Skip Skip
Oklahoma Skip No No
Oregon Yes No No
Pennsylvania Yes No Yes
Puerto Rico  NR NR NR
Rhode Island Yes No No
South Carolina Skip Skip Skip
South Dakota Skip No No
Tennessee Yes No Yes
Texas Skip No No
Utah Yes Yes Yes
U.S. Virgin Islands  Skip No No
Vermont Yes No No
Virginia Skip No No
Washington Yes Yes No
West Virginia Skip Skip Skip
Wisconsin Yes No Yes
Wyoming Skip Skip Skip

Source: CRS analysis of the State Noncitizen Eligibility Survey (SNES), Jan. 2003.

Noncitizen Receipt of TANF

Trends Over Time

As an annual percentage of total adult TANF recipients, noncitizens who received Aid for Families with Dependent Children (the predecessor of TANF) rose from 7.0% in FY1989 to 12.3% in FY1996. The percent of noncitizen adults receiving TANF dropped slightly to 11.7% in 1999 and ultimately fell to 8.0% in 2001, the most recent year data are available. That many states have exercised one or more options to extend coverage to certain classes of LPRs has mitigated the effects of the federal bars enacted in 1996. This trend in receipt of TANF, which does not include noncitizens assisted by the separate state programs noted above, is illustrated in Figure 1.

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Trends by State

California tops the list of states, with 16.9% of its 278,069 TANF recipients who were noncitizens in 2001, as Table 6 presents. Calculated in terms of percentage of all adult noncitizens receiving TANF, Californians comprised 41.8% of adult noncitizens in the United States on TANF in 2001. New York followed California with 12.3% of its 189,299 recipients who were adult noncitizens or 20.7% of noncitizens in the United States on TANF. Texas and Minnesota were distant third and fourth places with 7.4% and 5.2% respectively of adult noncitizens in the United States on TANF, with 8.9% and 16.8% of their states' caseload respectively who were noncitizens. Data presented in Table 6 do not include noncitizens assisted by the separate state programs in California, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin.

Table 6. Percentage of Adult TANF Recipients Who Are Noncitizens by State, FY2001

State  Total adults  Percent of state total 
U.S. citizen  Noncitizen  Unknown 
Alabama 8,972 100.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Alaska 5,462 93.9% 6.1% 0.0%
Arizona 18,952 92.4% 7.5% 0.0%
Arkansas 6,957 99.7% 0.3% 0.0%
California 278,069 83.0% 16.9% 0.1%
Colorado 6,619 99.7% 0.3% 0.0%
Connecticut 16,907 95.7% 4.3% 0.0%
Delaware 3,245 98.9% 1.1% 0.0%
District of Colombia 12,144 99.1% 0.9% 0.0%
Florida 24,823 87.8% 12.2% 0.0%
Georgia 25,608 99.3% 0.6% 0.1%
Hawaii 11,067 98.8% 1.2% 0.0%
Idaho 361 98.0% 2.0% 0.0%
Illinois 38,483 99.1% 0.8% 0.1%
Indiana 32,539 99.4% 0.6% 0.0%
Iowa 17,584 100.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Kansas 9,496 97.8% 2.2% 0.0%
Kentucky 22,448 98.9% 1.1% 0.0%
Louisiana 13,756 99.6% 0.4% 0.0%
Maine 7,864 96.3% 3.7% 0.0%
Maryland 17,000 99.0% 1.0% 0.0%
Massachusetts 27,202 87.2% 12.8% 0.0%
Michigan 48,989 96.8% 3.2% 0.0%
Minnesota 34,851 83.2% 16.8% 0.0%
Mississippi 7,920 100.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Missouri 34,635 97.3% 2.7% 0.0%
Montana 4,782 99.4% 0.4% 0.2%
Nebraska 6,265 96.5% 3.5% 0.0%
Nevada 4,282 94.9% 4.9% 0.2%
New Hampshire 4,274 96.5% 3.5% 0.0%
New Jersey 27,915 95.8% 4.2% 0.0%
New Mexico 17,136 92.1% 7.9% 0.0%
New York 189,299 84.8% 12.3% 2.9%
North Carolina 21,414 96.4% 1.4% 2.2%
North Dakota 2,216 97.9% 2.1% 0.0%
Ohio 50,982 97.7% 2.3% 0.0%
Oklahoma 8,067 99.6% 0.2% 0.2%
Oregon 8,869 94.0% 4.9% 1.0%
Pennsylvania 58,471 96.9% 3.1% 0.0%
Puerto Rico 23,266 99.0% 1.0% 0.0%
Rhode Island 12,808 85.1% 14.9% 0.0%
South Carolina 9,655 99.9% 0.1% 0.0%
South Dakota 1,209 100.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Tennessee 42,456 99.7% 0.3% 0.0%
Texas 93,313 91.1% 8.9% 0.0%
Utah 5,269 95.5% 4.4% 0.1%
Vermont 5,183 98.6% 1.4% 0.0%
Virgin Islands 677 88.9% 9.7% 1.3%
Virginia 16,788 98.3% 1.7% 0.0%
Washington 43,282 87.0% 11.0% 2.0%
West Virginia 12,612 99.9% 0.1% 0.0%
Wisconsin 6,149 100.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Wyoming 162 99.8% 0.2% 0.0%
U.S. total 1,408,752 91.5% 8.0% 0.5%

Source: CRS presentation of data from National TANF Datafile as of May 15, 2002.

Generally, states with larger shares of LPRs were more likely to have expanded state-level TANF policies for noncitizens as well as have a greater percentage of their caseload who were noncitizens. There were, however, some exceptions as noted above. The level of immigrant enrollment in assistance programs is affected by the restrictions imposed under the 1996 welfare reform law, by states' choices to extend or deny coverage when given the option and, to some degree, by individuals' perception of their eligibility status and their election to participate or not. Among the public at large, confusion remains over what classes of noncitizens are eligible for which programs, in part because the 1996 welfare law used the phrase "qualified alien" -- not a term in immigration law -- that encompasses a variety of classes of noncitizens who must meet additional specified conditions. Moreover, despite narrowly drawn regulations from the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (now the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security) on what constitutes "public charge," many believe that receiving public benefits may adversely affect a noncitizen's immigration status or potential to sponsor immigration petitions for family members. These factors may be inhibiting participation among eligible immigrants.




Footnotes

1. (back)For a full discussion of this debate, see CRS Report RL31114, Noncitizen Eligibility for Major Federal Public Assistance Programs: Policies and Legislation, by [author name scrubbed].

2. (back)See CRS Report RS21470, Noncitizen Eligibility For Major Federal Public Assistance Programs: Legal Concepts, by Alison Smith.

3. (back)Noncitizen is synonymous with alien and refers to all foreign-born persons in the United States who have not become citizens. The two basic types of legal aliens are immigrants and nonimmigrants. Immigrants are admitted as legal permanent residents (LPRs) of the United States. Nonimmigrants -- such as tourists, foreign students, and diplomats -- are admitted for a specific purpose and a temporary period of time. Illegal aliens or unauthorized aliens are those noncitizens who either entered the United States surreptitiously (i.e., entered without inspection), or who violated the terms of their nonimmigrant visas. See CRS Report RS20916(pdf), Immigration and Naturalization Fundamentals, by [author name scrubbed].

4. (back)CRS Report RL31114, Noncitizen Eligibility for Major Federal Public Assistance Programs: Policies and Legislation, by [author name scrubbed], lays out these rules in more detail -- including special rules that apply to several limited noncitizen categories: certain "cross-border" American Indians, Hmong/Highland Laotians, parolees and conditional entrants, and cases of abuse.

5. (back)This five-year ban on eligibility for new entrants also applies to a program closely related to the Medicaid program -- the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). It is the only categorical noncitizen eligibility rule affecting SCHIP.

6. (back)Refugee/asylee treatment is accorded to Cuban/Haitian entrants, certain aliens whose deportation/removal is withheld for humanitarian purposes, Vietnam-born Amerasians fathered by U.S. citizens, and victims of human trafficking. For those aliens who arrive in the United States without one of these forms of humanitarian relief, the five-year period begins after the date the aliens receive the status.

7. (back)Refugees are admitted from abroad after it is determined that they would be persecuted or have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Asylees are aliens physically present in the United States who, if returned to their country of origin, would be persecuted or have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

8. (back)To naturalize under U.S. immigration law, all LPRs must also show that they have good moral character, demonstrate the ability to read, write, speak, and understand English, and pass an examination on U.S. government and history.

9. (back)See U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2002 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics (GPO, 2003); and CRS Report 95-298, Naturalization of Immigrants: Policy, Trends and Issues, by Ruth Ellen Wasem.

10. (back)U.S. Citizenship and Immigrant Services (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service) asks all people as they become LPRs where they intend to live in the United States.

11. (back)While under contract with CRS, Shirin Kaleel conducted the State Noncitizen Eligibility Survey (SNES). On behalf of CRS, she contacted the designated TANF officials in all 50 states and outlying areas by mail, telephone, and -- in many instances -- by e-mail. The state officials had the option of completing the SNES surveys by e-mail or fax. CRS also extended the initial deadline of Dec. 31, 2002, for eight additional weeks to encourage as many responses as possible.

12. (back)See CRS Report RL30723, Welfare Reform: Federal Grants and Financing Rules Under TANF, by [author name scrubbed]; and U.S. Congress, Committee on Ways and Means, 2004 Green Book, Section 7, "Temporary Assistance for Needy Families," Mar. 17, 2004.




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