(Kenneth Schrupp, The Center Square) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says it is investigating the “State of California for providing federal benefits to illegal aliens,” beginning with Los Angeles County, where local officials say one in 10 residents are illegal immigrants.
It’s unclear what California is being investigated for, as the federal government is responsible for verifying eligibility for federal benefits. DHS’s statement and the subpoenaed data indicate the goal is to to compare data from California’s state-funded alternative to Social Security benefits for individuals whose immigration status does not meet federal benefits criteria with Social Security disbursement records to identify federal payments to ineligible individuals.
While illegal immigrants are ineligible for federal benefits, California does provide a wide array of state-funded benefits for illegal immigrants, including income-based eligibility for Medi-Cal, the state’s taxpayer-funded public healthcare system.
“Radical left politicians in California prioritize illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens access to cash benefits,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a statement. “The Trump Administration is working together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally.”
“If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over,” continued Noem. “While this subpoena focuses only on Los Angeles County – it is just the beginning.”
According to the California Department of Social Services, CAPI is a “CAPI is a 100 percent state-funded program designed to provide monthly cash benefits to aged, blind, or disabled non-citizens who are ineligible for SSI/SSP solely due to their immigration status.” Qualifying for CAPI generally requires a denial notice of some kind from the SSA indicating immigration-related ineligibility, or a county determination that the applicant is not a “qualified alien.”
CAPI benefits range up to $1,599.07 per month per individual and can be claimed on behalf of disabled minors, per CDSS. The CAPI handbook says that “ no period of residency in the state shall be required to gain eligibility,” meaning that individuals with qualifying immigration status can immediately start collecting CAPI benefits.
Individuals who meet the standard as “Qualified Alien,” “Permanently Residing Under Color of Law” or are victims of human trafficking, domestic violence or other “serious crimes” are eligible for CAPI.
“Qualified Alien” includes refugees, asylum recipients and asylum seekers who are granted parole of one year or more. PRUCOL includes individuals whom federal immigration authorities are aware of but are not enforcing the departure of, including individuals under indefinite voluntary departure or granted voluntary departure — under which individuals facing deportation can leave voluntarily without being subjected to a removal order that would generally have negative consequences for future entry into the U.S.
DHS’s subpoena for the State of California’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants for now covers only the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, which administers CAPI in LA County. Earlier this year, Los Angeles City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez said 10% of LA County residents are illegal immigrants.
“CAPI participants may also be eligible for Medi-Cal, In-Home Supportive Services, and/or CalFresh benefits,” the public social services department noted.
California expanded Medi-Cal eligibility to all income-qualifying illegal immigrants at the start of 2024, costing the state $9.5 billion through February in fiscal year 2024-2025.
Under IHSS, qualifying elderly or disabled individuals pay family members minimum wage for an average of 31 hours a week as in-home care “providers.”
This program “employs” 742,300 California residents or about 4% of the workforce. It is open to illegal immigrants as beneficiaries, as it is a Medi-Cal program. Last year, lawmakers rejected California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to end IHSS eligibility for illegal immigrants as the state faced a $73 billion budget shortfall.
CalFresh provides food benefits starting at $292 per month for a single-member household, and excludes hot food and non-food items. Illegal immigrants do not qualify for CalFresh, but many qualified aliens do.
