U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday (January 4, 2026) posted a list of several countries, including St Vincent and the Grenadines to highlight rates of welfare and assistance received by immigrants in the U.S. The post has reignited contentious discussion around the “No Welfare for Non-Citizens Act”.
In the case of St Vincent, the figures a showed 38.1% rate of welfare assistance to Vincentians in the U.S.
Congressman Randy Fine (R-FL), who represents Florida’s 60th congressional district, introduced H.R. 6854, the “No Welfare for Non-Citizens Act,” in the 119th Congress.
The core argument from the bill’s proponents is that such taxpayer-funded programs must be reserved exclusively for American citizens. The legislation explicitly targets benefits such as food stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, and housing assistance.
The bill’s sponsor, Representative Fine, has employed stark and uncompromising language to advocate for its passage. In a Facebook post, he framed the issue in confrontational terms.
“President Trump is right — too many legal immigrants are nothing more than leeches ripping off the American taxpayer. That’s why we need to pass my “No Welfare for Noncitizens” Act, HR 6854, to cut off the free stuff for foreigners. If you want free stuff, GO HOME”.
This legal framework is not new. The “Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA)” has, for decades, limited access for most non-citizens to many means-tested federal programs.
Therefore, the bill’s stated purpose is not to invent a new prohibition but rather to “close perceived loopholes” and make the existing restrictions ironclad.
Fine added that “foreigners have taken advantage of America for far too long” and called for a halt to all immigration, with future entry allowed “only [for] those who share our values and want to assimilate into America.”
• Haiti: 52.3%
• Cuba: 49.6%
• Dominica: 45.1%
• Antigua: 41.9%
• Guyana: 41.7%
• St. Lucia: 41.7%
• Grenada: 40.7%
• St. Kitts: 39.1%
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines: 38.1%
• Trinidad: 37.1%
• Jamaica: 36.7%
• Bahamas: 34.0%
• Barbados: 33.9%