Illegal and legal immigrants are using nearly 60 percent more U.S. taxpayer-funded food stamps than native born Americans, data from the leading immigration research group reveals.

A study conducted by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) found that the majority of the more than 1.5 million foreign nationals entering the country every year use about 57 percent more food stamps than the average native born American household.

Overall, immigrant households consume 33 percent more cash welfare than American citizen households and 44 percent more in Medicaid dollars. This straining of public services by a booming 44 million foreign born population translates to the average immigrant household costing American taxpayers $6,234 in federal welfare.

The welfare use of legal and illegal immigrants has largely been buried in news that President Trump’s administration is looking to discourage foreign nationals immigrating to the U.S. legally from using taxpayer-funded welfare. The plan is supported by 62 percent of American voters, the most recent Rasmussen Reports poll finds.

(Center for Immigration Studies)

DHS officials say the Trump administration is carefully evaluating policy options that create a fairer legal immigration system for the country’s workers and taxpayers. Those DHS officials say there are billions of foreign nationals who would like to immigrate to the U.S. and that it is the proper role of the federal government to ensure that legal immigration is not negatively impacting Americans, which includes protecting welfare benefits for poor and low-income citizens.

In February, Breitbart News noted how the Trump administration was reviewing such a plan to create a more pro-American legal immigration system that does not put a strain on American taxpayers as the current system does.

For years, Trump has called for the U.S. to implement a merit-based legal immigration system, similar to the controls implemented in Australia, where legal immigrants cannot readily gain access to government welfare and must have high English-speaking skills.

Trump’s plan – opposed by the plutocrat apparatus, big business lobby, and both political establishments – would reduce legal immigration levels from 1.5 million admissions a year to a more reasonable level of 500,000 admissions a year.

The plan is designed to boost the wages and quality of life of America’s working and middle class, which has suffered from poor job growth, stagnant wages, and increased public costs to offset the importation of millions of low-skilled foreign nationals.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder