Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to denounce the fact that recent immigrants often receive more money from the federal government than Social Security recipients who have worked their whole lives to qualify for smaller benefits.
Rubio focused on Cuban refugees who came to the United States some 40 years ago and contributed to American society and received Social Security benefits, noting that many of these people, who had been productive members of American society for decades, received less in Social Security benefits than illegal immigrants and other immigrants do today, and did so with far less effort.
“What you see a lot in South Florida is people who have been in this country their whole life. Some of them may have come from Cuba 45 years ago. They’ve worked here their whole life. They’re retired and they’re getting $800, $900, $1,000 a month from Social Security,” Rubio said. “And then they find someone who just came from Cuba three months ago, is 29 years old and not working, and is getting $1,500 a month in benefits from the government as a ‘refugee.'”
“The same ‘refugee’ returns to Cuba 15 times a year later,” Rubio continued. “So you’re a refugee fleeing oppression, and the next year you return to Cuba 15 times.”
This should make Americans furious.
Senator Marco Rubio said Americans “have worked here their whole life. They retire and get $800, $900, $1,000 a month from Social Security. Someone who just came from Cuba three months ago is getting $1,500 a month.”
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“And in the meantime, we’re providing Medicaid, food stamps, children’s health care, cash benefits from refugee funds,” Rubio added.
“Imagine working here for 40 years and your Social Security benefits are less than what an able-bodied 28-year-old gets when he just got here,” Rubio exclaimed.
“It’s real. It happens. It happens every day. It makes no sense,” he concluded.
In fact, this isn’t just a problem for Cuban immigrants from decades ago. It’s across the board: Recent immigrants are far more likely to be on welfare than U.S. citizens.
For example, in a 2022 study, found Fifty-four percent of immigrant-headed households were on one or more major welfare programs, compared with just 39 percent of native-born citizens.
The same study also found that illegal immigrants are on welfare at even higher rates than legal immigrants: 59% of households headed by illegal immigrants are on welfare, compared with 52% of legal immigrants.
Additionally, compared to U.S.-born households, immigrant-led households make significantly more use of food-related welfare, Medicaid, and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
And immigrant-headed families, especially those with above-average education and slightly higher incomes, are more likely to be on welfare than similar American-headed families.
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