Trump Signs Executive Order Ending the 'Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders'

Leah Barkoukis | February 20, 2025 9:30 AM

President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order that bars taxpayer money from being used to incentivize or support illegal immigration.

The order directs federal agencies and departments to identify and put an end to programs that currently offer illegal immigrants financial benefits.

It is estimated that taxpayers spend billions annually caring for illegal immigrants who have entered the U.S. since 2021, according to a White House fact sheet.

Under current welfare laws, specifically the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), illegal aliens are generally barred from welfare programs. But if they’re granted parole, they are classified as “qualified aliens” and become eligible for various welfare programs on a sliding scale, with full eligibility granted within five years.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), providing welfare to one million illegal aliens could cost American taxpayers an additional $3 billion annually.
The U.S. House Homeland Security Committee estimated that taxpayers could pay as much as $451 billion to care for illegal aliens and gotaways that have entered the United States unlawfully since January 2021.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) calculated that American taxpayers spend at least $182 billion annually to cover the costs incurred by the presence of 20 million illegal aliens and their children, which includes $66.5 billion in Federal expenses plus an additional $115.6 billion in state and local expenses.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the Biden Administration’s open borders agenda, which sought to provide Medicaid-funded emergency services to illegal aliens, has cost Federal and state taxpayers more than $16.2 billion.
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.
In addition, since 2021, more than $1 billion has been allocated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to illegal aliens. (White House)