California Gets 80 Percent of Federal Cash for Illegal Immigrant Families: Report

The Golden State was the primary driver of national welfare spending on families with illegal immigrant parents, according to the report.

An illegal immigrant mother from Mexico holds hands with her young daughter, who is a U.S. citizen, on their way to daycare from their home in San Diego on April 24, 2025. Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images

California is home to the lion’s share of illegal immigrant families in the United States with children who received federal welfare assistance in 2024, according to a federal report published on June 10.

More than 80 percent of all nationwide cash assistance allocated to such households was spent in California. The report tracked $759 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) spent in 2024 on families headed by a parent living in the country illegally.