This is not a question or debate about illegals being in America, coming to America, or how they got to America. I hear weekly from people about how illegals get all sorts of social benefits, social security, get to vote, get treated better than US citizens. How do they get social security with no SS#? How can you vote? How do you get food stamps?
I understand there is a problem with illegals, weather they are north or south of the border. The only instances I have personally witnessed are hospitals, emergency rooms aren't going to turn away someone with a femur sticking out of his pants and bleeding to death, and in the end we pay for it.
But then again, when I was growing up and all of my buddies raced motorcycles, I don't think anyone but a couple of us had health insurance and I had scores of friends in the ER who never paid bills. I was with a buddy racing in Canada and he went to the ER after a bad crash in Vancouver and never paid his bills. I guess he would be one of those "illegals" I hear about.
Just wondering if anyone else has any examples of illegals getting benefits from another country?
There are a large number of ways that illegals can, and do, get welfare and assistance. While I'm not surprised that some people don't know, I am a bit baffled by the number of otherwise informed posters, who responded to you that it's a joke.
IRS Admits It Encourages Illegals To Steal Social Security Numbers For Taxes
First, immigrants routinely use false SS numbers. The IRS itself, has stated that doing so isn't a crime, and openly continues to process known fictional tax returns on fraudulent SS numbers.
So that's the first way that illegals get assistance from the government, because they often get more money back from the government than they pay in on the fraudulent SS number.
Of course most of the work illegals do, is under the table to begin with.
Second, immigrants then also sometimes use the SS number to qualify for other forms of assistance.
However, fraudulently qualifying for direct assistance, is dangerous because the states themselves have a higher motivation than the Federal government, for stamping out fraud.
Welfare Use by Legal and Illegal Immigrant Households
According to the Center for Immigration studies....
14% of legal immigrants used direct cash programs.
6.5% of legal immigrants used housing assistance.
Compared to:
4.5% cash, and 3.8% housing, for Illegal immigrants.
Now of course the reason is, it's risky, and thus they are less likely to do so.
However, on the opposite side... is things like Medicaid.
While on paper, Medicaid is not directly available to illegals, the fact is nearly every state reimburses hospitals for all treatments that they simply can't collect on.
Meaning, if you go to the hospital, and they can send you a bill, that's not it. But if you go to the hospital with zero identification, zero documentation, and they have absolutely no possible way to bill you..... like say..... being an illegal immigrant or a homeless bum, then the Medicaid program, funded by the state and federal government, will reimburse the hospital on that cost.
In short, roughly $2 Billion a year is spent on Medicaid reimbursements, that largely go to Illegals.
Which leads to the number one way that Illegals get government assistance.
What would you guess is the top number one reason illegals go to the hospital?
To give birth.
And guess what happens to any child born in the US regardless of parental status? They are automatically American citizens..... with an American Social Security number.
Now they obviously can't use that number for cash or housing, because they don't record an income.
However, they can use that SS number to get School Lunch, SNAP and WIC.
Here the numbers are reversed. Only 36% of Legal immigrants get food support, while 56% of Illegal immigrants get food support. Granted their feeding themselves more than the kid, but it's perfectly legal under our system, and they can get government assistance without fear.
So the reality is, Illegals routinely get tons of government assistance. 62% of Illegal immigrant households get some form of government assistance.
