U.S President Donald Trump has shared a chart detailing welfare participation rates among immigrant households in the United States, claiming that about 33.3 per cent of Nigerian immigrant households receive some form of public assistance.
The chart was posted on Trump’s Truth Social platform on Sunday, amid renewed Republican focus on immigration policy, welfare dependency, and the economic impact of immigrants in U.S. domestic politics.
Titled “Immigrant Welfare Recipient Rates by Country of Origin,” the chart covers immigrants from approximately 120 countries and territories. It shows the percentage of households receiving public support, including food assistance, healthcare benefits, and other welfare programs.
According to the data shared, countries with the highest reported rates of welfare participation among immigrants include Bhutan (81.4 per cent), Yemen (75.2 per cent), Somalia (71.9 per cent), the Marshall Islands (71.4 per cent), and the Dominican Republic and Afghanistan (both at 68.1 per cent). Nigeria was listed at 33.3 per cent, placing it closer to the middle of the chart
Countries reported to have the lowest welfare participation rates among immigrants included Bermuda, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Korea, and Kenya, with rates ranging between roughly 25 and 29 per cent.
Trump’s post comes as his administration continues to frame access to public benefits as a key consideration in shaping immigration rules and eligibility standards.
Throughout 2025, the administration repeatedly argued that welfare usage should factor into decisions on who is allowed to enter or remain in the United States.
The welfare statistics were shared alongside expanded travel bans and immigration restrictions. In June 2025, the White House introduced a presidential proclamation imposing full and partial travel bans on several countries, citing security concerns, weak identity systems, and limited cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities.
In late December 2025, the administration issued an updated proclamation extending the restrictions into 2026 and expanding the list to 39 countries, effective January 1, 2026. New additions to the full ban category included Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, while partial restrictions were expanded to include Nigeria and several other African and Caribbean countries.
The partial restrictions affect access to immigrant visas and several non-immigrant visa categories, including student (F), vocational (M), and exchange (J) visas.
The chart has sparked debate among immigration advocates and policy analysts, some of whom argue that welfare usage data often fails to distinguish between refugees, recent arrivals, and long-term residents, or between temporary and long-term use of public assistance.
