The text below was quoted directly from Robert Rector's
"The U.S. welfare system is fast becoming a deluxe retirement home for elderly immigrants from the Third World. Each year, tens of thousands of elderly immigrants lawfully come to America with the intention of being supported by U.S. taxpayers through the SSI and Medicaid programs. Elderly immigrants on welfare will cost Americans roughly $150 billion over the next ten years. Most elderly non-citizens on welfare have sponsors who brought them to the United States and promised to support them. Congress has taken some steps to limit this problem: Elderly non-citizens who arrive in future years will not be eligible for SSI or Medicaid. However, elderly non-citizens who are current residents will continue to be eligible for welfare. And elderly immigrants in the future can become eligible for welfare through the simple process of naturalization. Congress should take further steps to limit this problem: Sponsors of elderly non-citizens on welfare should be required to support their relatives. Immigration law should be changed to require a certain number of years of paid employment in the United States as a precondition for naturalization. (Certain obvious exceptions to this rule should be allowed, such as veterans, spouses of citizens, and children of citizens.)"