US President Donald Trump shared a list showing welfare rates among immigrants, noting that about 33.3% of Nigerian immigrant households receive some form of public assistance in the United States.
The chart was shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform on January 4, 2026, amid continued Republican focus on immigration, welfare dependency, and economic contribution debates in US domestic politics.
The chart, titled “Immigrant Welfare Recipient Rates by Country of Origin,” covers approximately 120 nations and territories, showing the number of households that receive some form of public support, such as food assistance, healthcare benefits, and others.
Trump’s post comes alongside a series of public statements this year from the administration framing immigrant access to public benefits as a key factor in shaping immigration policy and eligibility standards.
Among the countries with the highest reported welfare rates, here are the top 10 countries whose immigrants in the US receive the highest assistance.
Alongside the welfare statistics, the Trump administration expanded travel bans and immigration restrictions on who is allowed into the United States and under what conditions.
New countries added to the full ban category included Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria, and individuals travelling with Palestinian Authority travel documents were also barred.
Partial restrictions were expanded to include Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe, among others, affecting access to immigrant visas and many common non‑immigrant visa categories such as F (students), M (vocational students) and J (exchange
The Trump administration has implemented a series of immigration policy changes that signal a tougher stance on both legal and irregular migration, including enhanced vetting and enforcement measures across multiple fronts.
In July 2025, the U.S. significantly revised its visa policies for Nigerians. The Department of State introduced more restrictive terms for non‑immigrant visas, limiting most categories to single‑entry permits with just three‑month validity. This replaced the previous system that allowed up to five‑year multiple‑entry visas and was framed as part of a broader effort to align global travel standards with U.S. security requirements.