The Department of Homeland Security issued subpoenas to the government of California on Monday seeking records related to alleged disbursements of federal funds to illegal immigrants.
ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations [HSI] office in Los Angeles filed the subpoenas this week, targeting the state’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants [CAPI].
According to the program’s website, CAPI is intended to provide monthly cash benefits to aged, blind, and disabled non-citizens who are ineligible for federal Supplemental Security Income, but the White House claims it provides benefits to illegal immigrants who cannot access social security benefits.
DHS Sec. Kristi Noem criticized California politicians in a statement, saying, “Radical left politicians in California prioritize illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens access to cash benefits. 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.”
She added, “If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over. While this subpoena focuses only on Los Angeles County – it is just the beginning.”
The DHS is targeting California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s state with an investigation into benefits for illegal immigrants. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
HSI’s subpoenas seeks records including the name and date of birth of CAPI applicants dating back to 2021, as well as copies of applications, the immigration status of those applicants and other documents relating to the program.
Officials with the California Department of Social Services rejected the premise of the HSI investigation in comments to Fox News Digital. The department maintains that the CAPI program is “100% state funded,” and added that the program is “generally not available to undocumented Californians.
The department also noted that Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation in 2023 that would have expanded the CAPI program to include illegal immigrants.
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The investigation comes more than a month after a separate study found that California is funneling billions of federal taxpayer dollars into paying for illegal immigrants. The Economic Policy Innovation Center [EPIC] report drew a line between California’s Medicaid provider taxes and what, on paper, appears to be nearly $4 billion in state funding going toward illegal immigrants’ healthcare and other initiatives.
But that funding is actually coming from the federal government, according to EPIC, via reimbursements to California.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is targeting California with subpoenas on illegal immigration. (AP)
“The state of California, colluding with insurance companies who cover Medicaid beneficiaries, has created one of the most outrageous ones yet, a money laundering scheme that results in California obtaining more than $19 billion in federal money without any state contribution over the period from April 2023 through December 2026,” EPIC’s report says.
The paper continued that those funds were “used to implement major expansions in the Medicaid program to fund illegal immigrants and long-term care (LTC) for the wealthy.”
President Donald Trump’s administration is targeting federal waste and illegal immigration programs across the country. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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A spokesperson for California’s Department of Healthcare Services pushed back on EPIC’s report, arguing it is “misleading” and urging people to visit a link on their website “for accurate information on this topic.”
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.
