Equal Justice or Unequal Benefits? Why Law-Abiding Citizens Deserve the Same Treatment

Equal Justice or Unequal Benefits? Why Law-Abiding Citizens Deserve the Same Treatment

Introduction

I was born in the United States. I am a citizen who has lived by the law, paid my taxes, and done my part to contribute to the well-being of my country. From childhood, I was taught that obedience to the law was the foundation of American life, and I accepted this truth as common sense. If you broke the law, you faced the consequences. If you followed the law, you were rewarded with the protections and opportunities that citizenship provides.

But today, that principle seems to have been turned upside down. As a law-abiding American, I see people who have entered the United States unlawfully receive benefits, protections, and resources that are denied—or made painfully difficult—for citizens like me. If I break a law, whether it’s running a stop sign or failing to pay a tax, I am fined or penalized. Yet those who break the very first law of entering this country illegally are often rewarded with free housing, food assistance, debit cards, healthcare, and more.

It feels as though the government has created a double standard: one set of rules for the citizen, another for the unlawful entrant. And the irony is sharp. When I stumble and make a mistake, my government has no compassion for me. But when a non-citizen ignores the law, compassion seems to overflow—funded by my tax dollars.

This is not a plea to mistreat anyone. America has long been a beacon of hope for those fleeing persecution, hardship, and danger. Compassion is a core value of our nation. But compassion must also be rooted in fairness, or it becomes injustice. Charity should begin at home, with the men and women who have sacrificed, contributed, and built the very foundation of this country.

I am not asking for special treatment. I am not demanding luxury. I am simply asking for fairness. If breaking the law now triggers free housing, food, debit cards, and healthcare, then I ask for the same when I break a law. If, however, I am held accountable for my mistakes, then so too should anyone who enters our nation unlawfully. Equal justice under the law must mean equal treatment, not selective enforcement.

That is the heart of my argument. As an American citizen, I should not receive less than those who have disregarded the law. Anything less is not compassion; it is betrayal of the very people who sustain this nation.

The Double Standard

In today’s America, citizens face penalties while non-citizens often receive benefits. If I fail to pay my mortgage, I face foreclosure. If I do not pay taxes, the IRS will pursue me aggressively. Yet those who cross the border illegally are often granted shelter, food, legal protection, and even cash stipends.

New York City alone has spent billions of dollars to house and feed migrants, many in hotels at taxpayer expense, while veterans sleep on sidewalks. Chicago has turned schools into shelters, while families in those neighborhoods face soaring property taxes. California offers free state healthcare to non-citizens, while many citizens cannot afford coverage.

The irony is unmistakable: breaking the law earns reward, while following it earns struggle.

The Citizen’s Burden

The citizen funds these programs. Every paycheck I earn is sliced by taxes—federal, state, Medicare, and Social Security. These deductions are not optional; they are enforced. I pay because I am required to. Yet, when I struggle, the aid I’ve funded is often unavailable or restricted by bureaucratic red tape.

Meanwhile, non-citizens often receive fast-tracked assistance. The Department of Homeland Security has estimated that taxpayers spend over $150 billion annually on education, healthcare, and welfare for illegal immigrants. That is not “free” aid—it is paid for by citizens.

Citizens are told to tighten their belts, while their tax dollars fund debit cards and hotel stays for those who entered unlawfully.

Selective Law Enforcement

When the law is applied selectively, it ceases to have meaning. If I drive without insurance, my car is impounded. If I fail to pay a fine, I face penalties. But entering the country illegally is excused, even rewarded.

Sanctuary cities shield unlawful entrants from deportation, provide free legal representation, and refuse to cooperate with federal authorities. Imagine if the same courtesy were extended to citizens. If I fail to pay taxes, does the government shield me? If I commit fraud, will the state provide me with a taxpayer-funded lawyer to avoid consequences? Of course not. I will be punished.

Such selective enforcement breeds resentment and undermines trust in government. Why should I obey the law if breaking it brings greater reward?

Compassion or Misplaced Priorities?

Compassion is noble. But compassion without fairness becomes cruelty to those who are overlooked.

Consider veterans. According to HUD, over 33,000 veterans were homeless in 2023. These men and women risked their lives for this country, yet many cannot find stable housing or medical care. Meanwhile, billions are allocated to shelter and feed non-citizens. Is this compassion, or is it misplaced priorities?

Common sense says charity begins at home. America should first care for its citizens, veterans, children, and seniors—before extending benefits to those who disregard our laws.

Twenty Benefits Given to Illegal Immigrants

Here are 20 benefits and services frequently provided across the United States to those here unlawfully:

1.     Free or subsidized housing assistance (hotels, shelters, apartments)

2.     Food assistance programs (meal vouchers, food banks, free school meals)

3.     Prepaid debit cards or cash stipends

4.     Free or subsidized healthcare (emergency care nationwide, full Medicaid in some states)

5.     Free public K–12 education

6.     In-state college tuition rates

7.     Access to scholarships and grants

8.     Taxpayer-funded legal representation in immigration cases

9.     Driver’s licenses in 19 states plus D.C.

10.                        State or local ID cards in sanctuary jurisdictions

11.                        Welfare benefits for U.S.-born children in the household

12.                        Utility assistance for heating, electricity, or water

13.                        COVID-19 relief funds or stimulus payments in certain states

14.                        Shelters created from schools, gyms, and hotels

15.                        Job protections or work permits under DACA

16.                        Free transportation (bus passes, chartered flights, or buses)

17.                        Subsidized childcare programs

18.                        Language and job training programs (ESL, certification courses)

19.                        State-funded prenatal and postnatal healthcare

20.                        Protection from deportation in sanctuary cities

Each of these benefits comes at a cost—paid for by American taxpayers. Yet many citizens cannot access similar programs or are denied assistance because they “earn too much” or fail to meet stringent requirements.

What I Am Asking

I am not asking for more. I am asking for the same. If breaking the law entitles one group to housing, food, debit cards, and medical care, then I, as a citizen should receive the same when I break a law. If, on the other hand, my breaking of the law earns me a penalty, then the same should apply universally.

Equal justice under the law must mean just that: equal.

Conclusion

The promise of America has always been fairness. From the founding documents to the Pledge of Allegiance, we have proclaimed liberty and justice for all. But justice today feels conditional. Citizens are held to one standard, while unlawful entrants are held to another.

This unequal treatment breeds anger, division, and mistrust. It tells the citizen that their loyalty, service, and taxes are less valuable than the lawbreaking of another. It rewards disobedience and punishes responsibility. That is not the America I was raised to believe in.

We must restore fairness. Compassion is vital, but compassion must never come at the expense of justice. America can remain a land of opportunity while also respecting the rights of its citizens. We can help those in need, but not by neglecting those who built, sustained, and sacrificed for this nation.

The path forward is clear: one set of laws, applied equally. If benefits are to be given, let them first go to citizens. If mercy is to be shown, let it begin with those who have upheld their responsibilities. And if laws are to be enforced, let them be enforced consistently.

For I am not asking for privilege. I am not asking for more. I am asking for fairness—the simple, foundational promise that the citizen will never receive less than the lawbreaker. Anything less is not justice; it is betrayal.