SAN DIEGO — President Donald Trump has officially signed a directive aimed at terminating federal assistance for individuals residing in the country without legal status, according to statements released by the White House on Wednesday. This action is part of a series of initiatives focused on intensifying immigration enforcement.
The White House has articulated that the directive intends to eliminate “all taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens,” though it remains ambiguous which specific benefits will be affected. Typically, individuals without legal status do not qualify for most public benefits, with emergency medical care being a notable exception. In a landmark Supreme Court decision from 1982, it was determined that children are entitled to access free K-12 public education irrespective of their immigration status.
The executive order underscores an existing welfare reform from 1996 which restricts public benefits for people residing in the country illegally. However, the document claims that the effectiveness of this law has been progressively undermined. It points specifically at the previous administration for having, over the last four years, weakened the foundational purposes of the legislation, leading to inappropriate use of taxpayer funds.
Trump appears to be targeting actions taken by former President Joe Biden, particularly Biden’s broad use of parole authority. This authority has permitted hundreds of thousands of individuals to enter the U.S. temporarily, including over 900,000 applicants using an appointment system known as CBP One at the Mexico border. Additionally, more than 500,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela arrived in the U.S. via air travel with financial sponsorship. Trump has moved swiftly to revoke both of these programs.
Moreover, Biden’s administration has extended parole to nearly 300,000 individuals from Ukraine and Afghanistan. Those who have received parole for a minimum of one year are classified as “qualified non-citizens,” which entitles them to access certain income-based benefits; however, eligibility for these benefits, such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, only becomes available after a waiting period of five years. Some states have chosen to reduce this waiting period.
The order enacted by Trump seems to encompass broader targets, including issues that have previously been the subject of earlier executive actions and lawsuits by the Justice Department. The directive mandates that all federal departments and agencies assess their spending on benefits in relation to the 1996 welfare reform. Additionally, it aims to guarantee that state and local governments do not allocate federal funds to promote “sanctuary” policies or foster environments conducive to illegal immigration.
Notably, on his first day in office, Trump enacted ten executive orders related to immigration, which included measures to eliminate automatic citizenship for individuals born in the U.S. and to curb asylum claims at the southern border. While the initiative to revoke birthright citizenship has been temporarily placed on hold by the courts, the administration continues to assert its hardline stance on immigration issues.
