The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just took action to prevent illegal aliens from receiving taxpayer-subsidized healthcare through federal programs.
Foreign lawbreakers should not be receiving benefits meant for Americans and paid for by Americans. “For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Today’s action changes that — it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.”
As far back as the Bill Clinton administration, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) was interpreted as extending some federal healthcare benefits to illegal aliens, even though by law, the aliens are not allowed to be in the country. But no more.
The July 10 HHS press release explained:
For over two decades, the 1998 policy improperly narrowed the scope of PRWORA, undercutting the law by allowing illegal aliens to access programs Congress intended only for the American people. With this update, HHS is complying with the law—ensuring that federal benefits are administered with transparency, legal integrity, and fairness to the American people.
Aside from the unconstitutionality and injustice of allowing illegal aliens to receive federal money for healthcare (although admittedly, all federal healthcare programs are unconstitutional), our national debt is $37 trillion and climbing all the time. We literally cannot afford to keep giving lucrative benefits to every foreigner who walks across our border.
Head Start is among the programs no longer open to illegal aliens. HHS predicts that Americans will receive $374 million more in services annually as a result. “Alongside HHS, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is committed to providing and protecting resources that serve America’s most vulnerable,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Andrew Gradison. “Head Start’s classification under the new PRWORA interpretation puts American families first by ensuring taxpayer-funded benefits are reserved for eligible individuals.”
The new policy applies PRWORA’s plain-language definition of “Federal public benefit,” reverses outdated exclusions, affirms that programs serving individuals, households, or families are subject to eligibility restrictions, and clarifies that no HHS programs have been formally exempted under PRWORA’s limited exceptions.
HHS provided a list of the programs no longer providing benefits to illegals in the press release.
Related: Legal Immigrants Say No Amnesty for Illegals
Meanwhile, legal immigrants are urging the Trump administration not to make any deportation or amnesty exceptions, as the administration considers allowing illegal alien agricultural workers to steal jobs from Americans to stay in the country.
Every agency that has been involved in providing benefits to illegal aliens should be prioritizing ending the waste of taxpayer dollars and no longer rewarding non-citizens who break our laws. HHS has taken an important step in the right direction, and other federal agency heads need to follow Kennedy‘s example.
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