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As a general rule, temporary migrants are not eligible for most federal welfare benefits, but many cities and states make emergency assistance available to noncitizens out of their budgets. For instance, Maine allows homeless noncitizens who have just arrived to get vouchers for housing and food out of the general assistance budget that cities administer. Illinois has a Medicare-like health insurance program for undocumented adults. Like New York, Massachusetts is obligated by law to find shelter for certain unhoused migrant families with children. And California plans to be the first state in the nation to offer food assistance to undocumented adults.

In theory, under modest levels of migration, cities should be able to make these investments in newcomers who eventually integrate into society, find jobs and pay taxes, sometimes for government services like Social Security that they never collect. Migrants frequently start new businesses that inject new energy into the economy and often work harder for less than Americans. But during immigration surges, too many migrants can overwhelm the social safety net, risking a backlash against not only immigration but also the welfare state.

In Maine, about 3,500 people are getting general assistance for food and housing, most of whom are asylum seekers in Portland. Officials say the citys budget for social services grew from $9.9 million in 2019 to $36.8 million for 2024, and this summer leaders warned that without more help from the state, local taxes would have to go up or services could be cut. Illinois had to pause enrollment in its health program for most undocumented adults because costs were projected to surpass $1 billion next year. In Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey, a progressive Democrat, declared a state of emergency in August, saying the state is unable to house the number of families seeking emergency shelter, with those living in state-funded shelters having increased 80 percent from last year. She has asked state lawmakers for an additional $250 million to shore up the shelter system, an amount that has raised eyebrows in both parties as lawmakers question when or if this crisis will end. And California delayed its food assistance expansion, citing budget cuts.

Academics have long debated whether permissive immigration policies are compatible with a generous welfare state. Consider that Sweden, once one of the most generous and welcoming countries in Europe, radically tightened its immigration policies after 2015, when so many asylum seekers from Syria and Iraq arrived that towns ran low on housing and money for refugee stipends. It took three months for Swedens prime minister, Stefan Lofven, to go from fiercely defending migrants at a rally My Europe takes in refugees to reversing the countrys open-door policy, admitting, We simply cannot do any more. How long will it take the mayors of American cities?

The lessons are broader than managing limited budgets and public backlash. The 2015 surge of migrants in Europe is associated with the rise of far-right parties that want to curtail immigration or welfare benefits to noncitizens or both. Now that the border has come to cities like New York, theres a danger that something similar could happen here. Mr. Abbott would no doubt pat himself on the back.

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Opinion | Immigration Influx Puts Pressure on Democrats and the ... - The New York Times