According to a report released by the federal government on June 10, the majority of families receiving federal welfare assistance composed of “undocumented immigrant parents and welfare-receiving children” are concentrated in California.
The report tracked the total expenditure of $759 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in 2024, targeting families where at least one parent is an undocumented immigrant. It found that over 80% of cash assistance distributed to such families across the U.S. was spent in California.
Despite the parents being excluded from federal welfare programs due to their undocumented status, their children still qualify for federal assistance.
In 2024, there were a total of 85,000 families receiving federal aid in the U.S., where eligible children and their undocumented immigrant parents reside together.
The report stated, “These cases have received relatively limited public attention, but data shows that they are not insignificant within the program.”
While the welfare benefits are theoretically designated for children, they effectively support the entire household that includes undocumented immigrant parents. Therefore, the significance of these cases should not be overlooked simply because adults are not the official beneficiaries.
The report emphasized the importance of these cases because they are not required to comply with the TANF work requirements for recipients, such as regular job searches, and there is no time limit on receiving welfare benefits, unlike the federal lifetime 60-month cap. As a result, these undocumented immigrant families can continue to receive federal welfare until their children turn 18.
In contrast, low-income American families must adhere to work participation requirements and are limited to receiving welfare for a maximum of 60 months over their lifetime.
In 2024, TANF cases involving undocumented immigrant parents totaled nearly 85,000, accounting for about 10% of all cases, compared to around 6% in 2001. The report revealed that nearly 78,000 households (approximately 91%) also received federal food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Out of over 106,000 undocumented immigrant parents, the vast majority were of Hispanic descent, with 5.3% being White, 4.3% African American, and 2% Asian.
According to the report, California was the primary source of such cases in the U.S. In 2024, California had around 60,000 TANF welfare households with undocumented immigrant parents, accounting for approximately 70% of such families nationwide. They received approximately $618 million in federal aid, representing about 81% of total expenditures in the U.S.
The report also noted that from 2013 to 2024, the average monthly welfare benefit for these families in California increased from around $408 to $875, marking a 114.5% increase.
In terms of the number of these families and the financial burden they bring, California significantly outpaced other states. New York ranked second with approximately 7,635 households receiving around $47.5 million in cash assistance annually; Massachusetts ranked third with about 3,777 households receiving $27.3 million in aid each year; and Washington state had around 1,796 such households receiving approximately $12.2 million in aid annually.
From 2001 to 2024, the U.S. disbursed a total of approximately $18.3 billion in cash assistance to these families through TANF.