President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Wednesday evening prohibiting illegal immigrants from receiving benefits funded by federal taxes.
“My Administration will uphold the rule of law, defend against the waste of hard-earned taxpayer resources, and protect benefits for American citizens in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans,” the executive order stated.
The president highlighted that the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) essentially bars illegal immigrants from accessing most government-funded benefits. However, he argued that in the years following its enactment, “numerous administrations have acted to undermine the principles and limitations directed by the Congress.”
Trump contended that the Biden administration had “repeatedly undercut the goals of that law, resulting in the improper expenditure of significant taxpayer resources.”
According to the president, the improper use of “taxpayer resources” has acted as a “magnet” for migrants, “fueling illegal immigration to the United States.”
The executive order instructs the heads of all federal agencies to “identify all federally funded programs administered by the agency that currently permit illegal aliens to obtain any cash or non-cash public benefit” and to “take all appropriate actions to align such programs” with PRWORA and other federal laws.
Additionally, Trump directed government officials to “ensure, consistent with applicable law, that Federal payments to States and localities do not, by design or effect, facilitate the subsidization or promotion of illegal immigration, or abet so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies that seek to shield illegal aliens from deportation.”
The order also requests that federal agencies “enhance eligibility verification systems, to the maximum extent possible” in order to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving benefits funded by taxpayers.
The president tasked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is headed by billionaire Elon Musk, with locating “all other sources of Federal funding for illegal aliens” and advising on “additional agency actions to align Federal spending with the purposes of this order.”
The executive order requires that any improper benefits being provided to illegal immigrants be referred to the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security for “appropriate action.”
This measure is part of the administration’s broader effort to combat illegal immigration, a central promise of Trump’s campaign.
The president has praised Musk and DOGE for their assistance in carrying out various executive orders, stating that without the team’s ability to cut through bureaucratic red tape, many of these actions would have been overlooked by federal employees.
{Matzav.com}