President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Wednesday night ending the use of taxpayer money for federal resources supporting illegal immigration and illegal aliens.
The Trump administration said the goal of the executive order is to ensure “taxpayer resources are used to protect the interests of American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
Under the order, federal departments and agencies must identify and end all federally funded programs providing financial benefits to illegal aliens. It also aims to ensure federal funds are not being used to support “sanctuary” policies.
“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 order states.
“President Trump is committed to safeguarding Federal public benefits for American citizens who are truly in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans,” a White House fact sheet on the executive order said.
The surge in illegal immigration over the past four years has come at a high price, costing American taxpayers an estimated $451 billion to care for illegal aliens and gotaways in the U.S. unlawfully since January 2021, according to the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee.
The executive order cited calculations from the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which stated that American taxpayers have spent at least $182 billion annually to cover the costs of 20 million illegal aliens and their children. While that number includes $66.5 billion in federal expenses, an additional $115.6 billion has come from state and local expenses.
The Center for Immigration Studies also estimated that one million illegal aliens could cost American taxpayers $3 billion annually through welfare programs, which are not supposed to be available to those unlawfully in the U.S. per the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
Though, illegal aliens granted parole become classified as “qualified aliens” when it comes to welfare programs, allowing them to become eligible for various benefits with full eligibility granted within five years.
The Trump administration also called out former President Joe Biden and his administration for its “enabling” of illegal immigration and allocation of funds to support the crime.
The executive order stated that federal and state taxpayers paid more than $16.2 billion to provide Medicaid-funded emergency services to illegal aliens through Biden’s open borders agenda – an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office.
“The Biden Administration gave billions in taxpayer dollars to left-wing groups that facilitated mass illegal migration and provided legal services to challenge deportation orders,” the fact sheet continued.
It was also shared that FEMA has allocated more than $1 billion to illegal aliens since 2021.
The move comes in accordance with promises made by Trump during his presidential campaign to secure the borders and put America first.
“President Trump has delivered on his promise to secure the border and prioritize the needs of American citizens, taking immediate action to put an end to the previous Administration’s border crisis,” the fact sheet stated before listing other immigration-related moves made by Trump since he took office on Jan. 20.
By Elizabeth Pritchett, Fox News