Illegal immigration has always been a heated topic in the United States, sparking a wide range of opinions. Some Americans are supportive of immigration, while others are more critical. One of the most controversial aspects of this debate is whether illegal immigrants should be eligible for Social Security benefits.
According to a recent poll, nearly 97% of respondents strongly opposed the idea of extending these benefits to undocumented immigrants, reflecting widespread disagreement with the proposal.
What is Social Security?
Social Security is a federal program that offers qualifying individuals, their spouses, children, and survivors retirement benefits and disability income.
Employees contribute to the program, generally by payroll deductions from their earnings. Self-employed individuals remit Social Security taxes upon filing their federal tax returns.
Your Social Security retirement payment is based upon your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) over your 35 highest-earning years. Retirement amounts will vary considerably across individuals. As of June 2024, the mean monthly retirement benefit was $1,869.77.
What Does The Poll Reveal?
A recent poll shows that 96% of the people responded “No” to the question of whether illegal immigrants should receive Social Security payments. This response underscores the worries of many Americans regarding the availability of Social Security funds for U.S. citizens and legal residents who contributed through payroll taxes during their employment.
A mere 1.75% of participants (15 voters) supported the idea of illegal immigrants receiving Social Security payments. Some individuals believe that undocumented immigrants, who often contribute to the economy and Social Security via taxes, ought to qualify for benefits.
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A total of 1.52% (13 participants) expressed uncertainty regarding the topic. This group might consist of individuals who feel they don’t have sufficient information to develop a well-rounded opinion, or they could recognize the intricacies of the Social Security system and its funding methods.
Do Illegal Immigrants Receive Social Security?
According to the Social Security Administration’s website, noncitizens who are in the country legally and fulfill all qualifying requirements may be eligible to receive Social Security payments.
Legal immigrants in the United States who have accumulated enough work credits throughout the course of their employment are eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits. To be eligible for these credits, immigrants need to get a Social Security number and pay Social Security taxes.
People who live in the nation but do not have legal status are not eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits. However, if certain conditions are met, people who first entered the country illegally but subsequently received a temporary visa to stay could be eligible for Supplemental Security Income benefits. Seniors 65 years of age and older, people with disabilities or blindness, and people with little money or resources are all eligible for SSI assistance.
Certain immigrants could qualify for SSI if they satisfy these requirements as per the official website:
- Lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
- Granted conditional entry.
- Paroled into the United States.
- Admitted as a refugee.
- Granted asylum.
- An alien whose removal is being withheld.
- A Cuban or Haitian entrant.
- Admitted as an Amerasian immigrant.
- Admitted as an Afghan or Iraqi special immigrant.
- Admitted as an Afghan humanitarian parolee.
- Admitted as an Afghan non-special immigrant parolee.
- Admitted as a Ukrainian humanitarian parolee.
Conclusion
Finally, most Americans feel Social Security should be reserved for U.S. citizens and legal residents who have paid payroll taxes. A smaller group believes undocumented immigrants, who contribute to the economy and pay taxes, should also receive benefits. The issue remains a point of debate, but public opinion is clear on the matter.
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