BILL HEMMER (CO-ANCHOR): President Trump directing his administration to identify all federally funded programs currently providing any financial benefits to illegal immigrants.
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GRIFF JENKINS (FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT): This order is a big deal because for years, Dana, officials have said that free stuff like federally funded benefits are a major pull factor or incentive for illegal immigration. In this order directs every department and agency to root out and cut off any program providing those benefits to illegal migrants.
Let me show you what they’re targeting. The Congressional Budget Office estimates over the next 10 years, the current cost to taxpayers would include, you see, more than $50 billion for Obamacare, $40 billion for Medicaid, $15 billion for food stamps, and the list goes on. All that, likely to end.
Now, the Federation for American Immigration Reform calculates taxpayers already spend over $180 billion annually to house, clothe, feed, transport, and otherwise support illegal immigrants. The Manhattan Institute says every new illegal immigrant costs taxpayers $130,000.
Now, this order also seeks to cut off funds to those sanctuary cities and states. And it mandates improvements in welfare eligibility verification. This one is important, Dana. If you recall, back in 1996 when President Clinton signed a law to end welfare abuse, it barred illegal immigrants from receiving a wide range of benefits. But under the Biden administration, if they got paroled into the U.S., they then became qualified aliens and thus eligible for various benefits. That, now, likely will end as well.
