Preventing Access to TANF for Illegal Aliens

Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), P.L. 104-193, as amended, limits TANF and other “federal public benefits” to American citizens and qualified aliens. Illegal aliens are not citizens or qualified aliens, and thus not eligible for TANF benefits. More information can be found in the 1998 Office of Family Assistance (OFA) Information Memorandum.

This webpage provides resources intended to help state TANF agency staff prevent unlawful services to illegal aliens.

Reminder: U.S. Code section (42 USC § 608(g)) mandates that states receiving federal grants (under § 603, related to welfare/family assistance) must report individuals they know aren't lawfully present in the U.S. to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), primarily into U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at least quarterly and upon request, providing names, addresses, and other info, linking state benefits with immigration enforcement.