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Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Federal Benefits for Unauthorized Immigrants
In a decisive move towards tightening immigration policies, former President Donald Trump has enacted an executive order designed to eliminate federal benefits for individuals living in the United States without legal status. This latest initiative is part of a series of actions aimed at restricting immigration and reallocating taxpayer resources.
The White House has communicated that the order is focused on ending “all taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens.” However, specific details regarding which benefits will be curtailed remain ambiguous. Generally, unauthorized immigrants do not qualify for most federal benefits apart from some emergency medical services. Nevertheless, a Supreme Court ruling from 1982 ensures that all children, regardless of immigration status, have access to free K-12 public education.
The order references a significant welfare reform enacted in 1996, which largely restricts public benefits to people in the country without legal status. Trump’s administration contends that this legislation has been systematically undermined in recent years. “Over the last four years, in particular, the prior administration repeatedly undercut the goals of that law, resulting in the improper expenditure of significant taxpayer resources,” the order states.
This executive action seems to be a countermeasure to former President Joe Biden’s expansive use of parole authority, which allowed for the temporary entry of many individuals, including over 900,000 people via the CBP One appointment system utilized at the southern border. Additionally, more than 500,000 nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela entered the U.S. with financial sponsorship. Trump has promptly terminated these programs.
During Biden’s tenure, approximately 300,000 individuals from Ukraine and Afghanistan were granted parole, which, while granting some eligibility for certain income-based benefits, does not provide immediate access. Eligible benefits, such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, typically become available only after a five-year period, although some states have opted to reduce this wait time.
The order issued by Trump also directs federal departments and agencies to identify spending on federal benefits that contradict the 1996 welfare law. It aims to ensure that state and local governments do not utilize federal funding to support policies often referred to as “sanctuary” laws, which provide protections to unauthorized immigrants.
On his first day in office, Trump signed ten executive orders focused on immigration topics, including the controversial moves to end automatic citizenship for U.S.-born individuals and to restrict asylum seekers at the southern border. Notably, his birthright citizenship order has encountered legal challenges and has been temporarily suspended by the courts.
In addition to the immigration-focused order, Trump has instructed agency heads to evaluate current regulations in partnership with members of Elon Musk’s government efficiency initiative. The objective is to rescind or modify any regulations that conflict with the administration’s objectives.
This latest directive aligns with Trump’s broader strategy to significantly reduce government operations and is currently under scrutiny as various legal challenges question its validity.
Furthermore, Trump has proposed the elimination of several advisory committees and independent agencies, a move that appears to reinforce his attempt to reassert control over these bodies. Among the agencies slated for dissolution are the United States Institute for Peace, the Inter-American Foundation—which supports community development in Latin America and the Caribbean—and the U.S. African Development Foundation, which focuses on community development initiatives in Africa.
With Associated Press and Reuters
Source
www.theguardian.com