Americans are rallying around provisions in President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” to make Medicaid and food stamps off limits to illegal migrants, a potential saving of millions of dollars.
While Democrats in so-called “sanctuary” cities and states, notably New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, have been arguing against stopping the taxpayer-funded aid to illegal immigrants, a surprisingly strong coalition is voicing support for the restrictions.
“For years, liberal lawmakers at the federal and state levels have chipped away at any barriers to taxpayer-funded support of illegal immigrants at every opportunity. People are fed up with it,” said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies.
She told Secrets that the feeling is more intense today because of uncertainty in the economy.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is complaining that the federal government cut funding to New York because New York is harboring illegals and giving them free healthcare.
I’m from New York and I say defund my state entirely until every illegal is deported.pic.twitter.com/r6YTuPRdkO
— Paul A. Szypula
(@Bubblebathgirl) July 16, 2025
“It is no surprise to see Americans expressing their frustration with having to pick up the tab for the huge cost of welfare services to illegal aliens and their families, at a time when so many are struggling to afford homes, buy groceries, pay for insurance, or recover from disasters,” Vaughan added.
The Center has a long history of studying the economic impact migrants, and especially those in America illegally, have had on benefit programs. It has put a high price tag on their use of the programs reserved for poor and middle-income Americans.
In one study, the group estimated that providing health care to illegal immigrants through Medicaid would cost between $10 billion to $23 billion.
In recent months, liberal politicians have stepped up attacks on the Trump administration’s focus on preserving programs for the poor just for Americans, and some have even offered new taxpayer-funded initiatives just for illegal immigrants.
Bass, for example, has created a legal fund for migrants targeted for deportation, said Vaughan. “The latest absurd example is Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass leaping to create a legal defense fund for illegal aliens targeted by ICE — many of whom are criminals — when she didn’t offer a penny to those who lost everything in the wildfires a few months prior,” she told us.
“The truth is that the Trump deportation campaign is actually the ultimate fiscal bail-out for California, New York, Massachusetts, and every other sanctuary jurisdiction that has tried to bankroll illegal immigration on the backs of American taxpayers,” Vaughan added.
New polling shared with Secrets by Rasmussen Reports today found that the provisions to put food stamps and Medicaid off limits to illegal immigrants has huge support in the country.
For example 72% of likely voters said it was somewhat to very important to stop illegal migrants from getting those two federal benefits. Majorities of virtually every demographic in the poll agreed.
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“Majorities of every political category — 88% of Republicans, 59% of Democrats and 68% of voters not affiliated with either major party — believe it is at least somewhat important to prevent illegal immigrants from getting government benefits like Medicaid and food stamps,” said the analysis.
And, added Rasmussen, “Majorities of every racial category — 71% of whites and Hispanics, 70% of black voters, and 74% of other minorities — consider it at least somewhat important to prevent illegal immigrants from getting government benefits. Hispanics are most likely to believe the government is doing enough to prevent illegal immigrants from getting benefits.”