Minnesota: Most Somali Household on Welfare

More than 8-in-10 households headed by Somali refugees in the state of Minnesota are on one or more forms of American taxpayer-funded welfare, new data published by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) reveals.

In particular, the data shows that 81 percent of Minnesota households headed by Somali refugees are on one or more forms of welfare, including 27 percent who are on cash welfare, 54 percent who are on food stamps, and 73 percent who are on Medicaid.

Compare this massive welfare use to native-born Americans residing in Minnesota, only 21 percent of whom are on one or more forms of welfare, including just 6 percent who are on cash welfare, 7 percent who are on food stamps, and 18 percent who are on Medicaid.

Welfare use goes even higher for Somali households where children are in the home, the ACS data finds.

For example, 89 percent of Somali-headed households with children in Minnesota are on one or more forms of welfare, as 86 percent are on Medicaid. About 62 percent of Somali households with children in the state are on food stamps, while 23 percent take cash welfare.

Again, the gap between Somali households with children on welfare and native-born American households with children on welfare in Minnesota is wide.

Only about 3-in-10 native Minnesotan households with children take one or more forms of welfare, including only 6 percent on cash welfare, 10 percent on food stamps, and 28 percent on Medicaid.