I'd like to know if any form of social security or other, tax funded, assistance was provided to immigrants in the United States between say 1865 and 1929.
For the purposes of this question social security can be any sort of free, or subsidised, benefit provided to immigrants at any point from their arrival in America, for example: housing, food, health care, education. unemployment insurance, pensions or other cash payments.
I'm primarily interested in tax funded benefits provided by Federal, State or local government, as opposed to charitable work done by churches, labour unions or other non-governmental organisations. I mainly have in mind immigrants arriving from Europe, in case people arriving from other places were treated differently (Chinese immigrants for example).
Thank you in advance // Plicated
Currently studying the 1880s-1920s. The government of the time in all states had a very hands off approach to workers and industry until the unions were formed in protest of major corruption spreading through the railroad industry. There were no personal welfare systems in place at all, but the government did give major land and monetary grants to the railroad companies in order to build rails stretching westward. That isn't really what you were asking for though, it was just the only instance of the government giving anything out at the time. People absolutely needed aid in big city slums like New York though, and there were quite a few programs that popped up but WERE privately funded by donors. For a quick example the Hull House opened in 1889 in Chicago was a privately run charity housing building that would offer immedate aid to all foreign immigrants coming over. There were many houses like this formed in the dense cities that specifically catered to only women and children, too. That's the only extent of a welfare-like system existing though, the gilded age was a catastrophe of industrial working conditions and gov/financial corruption.