Are undocumented immigrants eligible for federal public benefits?

Undocumented immigrants are considered “unqualified” immigrants under the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, and are ineligible to receive most federal public benefits, also called “welfare benefits.” These benefits include services like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. 

Unqualified immigrants are only eligible to receive public services deemed necessary to life or safety in dire situations, such as emergency care, child and adult protective services or healthcare and nutrition programs under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Immigrants with legal status, considered “qualified” immigrants, must be in the U.S. for five years legally before becoming eligible for benefits in most cases. 

In Arizona, state law requires that individuals prove their legal status in the U.S. in order to be eligible for state- and locally-funded public benefits. 

This fact brief responds to conversations such as this one.  

The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.