The lower spending on immigrants comes despite the fact that America's foreign-born population is older, on average, than its native-born residents. In 2016, the median age for immigrants was 44.4 years, compared to 36.1 years for native-born residents.

“Overall, immigrants almost certainly paid more toward medical expenses than they withdrew, providing a low-risk pool that subsidized the public and private health insurance markets,” wrote the authors.

The authors described the report as a response to the “often-misperceived costs of providing medical care to immigrants.” In recent years, those who want to reduce immigration –– both legal and illegal –– have often argued that low-income immigrants are a drain on the safety net.

The study also comes on the heels of a report that officials in the Trump administration are considering putting in place rules that would make it more difficult for legal immigrants to become citizens if they have ever used a public benefit program, such as Medicaid or Obamacare.

Other studies have found that immigrants generally use fewer social services than the native-born. One factor driving this trend is that undocumented immigrants are typically not allowed to receive such services. Even in jurisdictions that make such services available regardless of immigration status, many undocumented immigrants will likely be reluctant to engage with government officials for fear of deportation.