Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer warned states on Friday that if they allow illegal immigrants to collect unemployment benefits, they could lose federal funding.
Chavez-DeRemer sent a letter to all governors, telling them to comply with President Donald Trump’s directives to make sure illegals are not getting American tax dollars and illegal immigration is not incentivized.
“Our nation’s unemployment benefits exist solely for workers who are eligible to receive them,” the secretary wrote. “To qualify for unemployment, one must be able and available to work, actively seeking work, and be legally authorized to accept employment in the United States. Unemployment benefits are not a handout for those in our country illegally.”
Chavez-DeRemer specifically cited Trump’s “Preventing Illegal Aliens from Obtaining Social Security Act Benefits” memorandum and Executive Order 14218, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.”
The letter notes that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently informed states that they are allowed to use the DHS immigration database known as SAVE. The system “helps verify the immigration status of benefit claimants and is a critical tool in the toolbox in ensuring that illegal immigrants do not access our nation’s unemployment benefits,” Chavez-DeRemer said.
“I instructed the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to send a letter to all State Unemployment Insurance Administrators urging them to immediately start using SAVE for every initial and continued claim filed by an individual who indicates that they are not a U.S. citizen,” the Labor Secretary continued.
“This letter also reminds states of their existing legal obligations regarding immigrant access to unemployment benefits and that noncompliance with these existing obligations will result in the loss of the state’s Title III UI administrative grant,” she added.
Earlier in the week, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA) will crack down on illegal immigrants accessing food benefits known as food stamps or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
“USDA’s nutrition programs are intended to support the most vulnerable Americans,” Rollins said, Fox News reported. “To allow those who broke our laws by entering the United States illegally to receive these benefits is outrageous.”
The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal funding from states that do not comply with other orders and federal law, such as Title IX rules. Maine, for example, is in a heated battle with Trump for refusing to protect girls’ sports and adhere to federal law.
Additionally, the administration has taken aim at the federal funding for specific schools, such as Harvard University. Trump froze more than $2 billion in financing for Harvard after it rejected demands to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and do more to curb student anti-Israel protests, The Daily Wire reported.
