Immigrants return more than they receive

Immigrants — both documented and undocumented — contribute more to American society than they take.

Undocumented immigrants are regularly accused of putting a drain on public benefit programs.

· Undocumented immigrants and DACA holders (“Dreamers”) are not eligible for almost all federal benefit programs, such as Social Security retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

· Undocumented immigrants are also not eligible for health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and are prohibited from purchasing unsubsidized health coverage on ACA exchanges.

Only a handful of benefits that are deemed necessary to protect life or guarantee safety in dire situations are available to undocumented immigrants.

Even when immigrants are here legally and eligible for public benefit programs, they use federal public benefit programs at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens.

Both documented and undocumented immigrants pay more into United States public benefit programs than they take out:

· Sales and consumption taxes

· Income taxes

· Property taxes

· Contributions to the Social Security benefit system (even if they use a false social security number, they may never be eligible to use the Social Security system)

Please remember this as you vote on Nov. 5.

Susan S. Russo

Batavia