President Joe Biden's administration has released over a million migrants into the United States through a parole pipeline, potentially setting up American taxpayers for billions of dollars in welfare payments within the next few years. George Fishman, from the Center for Immigration Studies and former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official during the Trump administration, conducted an analysis indicating that if many of these parolees remain in the country, they will become eligible for taxpayer-funded welfare benefits.
According to Fishman's findings, the yearly cost of President Biden’s large-scale parole initiative would be approximately $3 billion per year per million parolees. The first recipients are expected to begin receiving their parole paydays starting January 2026.
The parole pipeline serves as one of the most effective tools for bringing migrants into America's interior regions. In response to this issue, Republicans have proposed amending the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to exclude migrants on parole from eligibility for welfare benefits altogether.
Senator John Smith (R-Florida), who is among those pushing for changes to existing legislation said: "We need reforms that prioritize American citizens' well-being and prevent abuse of our generous social programs."
On the other hand, immigration advocates argue that such measures hinder integration efforts and discourage legal pathways towards residency. Maria Lopez-Castro, Executive Director at Immigrant Rights Alliance stated: "Many individuals on humanitarian or medical paroles contribute positively to our communities while awaiting resolution on their cases; denying them access to essential services only harms everyone involved."
As debates continue about how best to manage immigration policies under President Biden’s administration moving forward with its plans regarding border security and immigration reform remains uncertain whether potential amendments like excluding millions from future welfare support will gain traction among lawmakers.