Time to End Welfare for Non-Citizens

Written by David E. Smith

In a moment when Washington D.C. spends with reckless abandon and our national debt towers above $38 trillion, it’s past time we confront a glaring inconsistency in our federal welfare system. Last week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the End Welfare for Non-Citizens Act — a bill rooted in fiscal responsibility, the rule of law, and basic fairness to American taxpayers.

In an interview with Real America’s Voice (RAV), U.S. Senator Paul made the case for his legislation, pointing directly to the massive Somali-linked welfare fraud exposed in recent months. After what we have seen unfold, continuing to allow taxpayer-funded benefits under the guise of “refugee assistance” is indefensible.

Background

This legislation would end the appropriation of federal welfare benefits — including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and other federal subsidies — for individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States, including certain categories of refugees and asylees. In short, it would close loopholes that allow taxpayer-funded benefits to flow to those who are not legally part of our national community.

Importantly, U.S. Senator Paul’s proposal does not emerge in a vacuum. The Trump administration has already taken significant steps to restrict welfare access for immigrants, particularly those in the country illegally. In early 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidizations of Open Borders,” aimed squarely at stopping federal benefits from being used as an incentive for unlawful immigration.

That executive order emphasized enforcement of existing law — most notably the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), which already limits most federal public benefits to so-called “qualified aliens.” In other words, Congress long ago recognized that unlimited access to taxpayer-funded benefits undermines both immigration law and fiscal responsibility. What has been lacking is the political will to enforce those limits consistently.

Why does this matter? Because our safety-net programs were never intended to operate on autopilot, nor were they designed to function as magnets for illegal immigration. Every dollar diverted away from American citizens and lawful residents is a dollar unavailable to provide a safety net for struggling families, seniors, veterans, and the disabled — the very people these programs were meant to serve.

Recent investigations underscore the urgency of reform. Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have estimated that as much as $9 billion in welfare fraud may be tied to abuse of government programs — a staggering figure that illustrates what happens when oversight collapses and eligibility standards are ignored.

The End Welfare for Non-Citizens Act is not anti-immigrant. It is pro-law, pro-taxpayer, and pro-accountability. It reasserts a foundational principle of self-government: that public benefits funded by American workers should prioritize those who are lawfully part of the American social contract.

Congress now has an opportunity to align federal statute with both common sense and existing law. Citizens who care about responsible governance, fiscal stewardship, and the integrity of our welfare system should urge their lawmakers to support this legislation — and to finally enforce the laws already on the books.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to President Trump, your U.S. Representative and our two U.S. Senators and urge them to support the End Welfare for Non-Citizens Act. Tell them to stand with taxpayers, enforce existing law, and ensure that federal welfare programs are reserved for American citizens and lawful residents — not used as incentives for illegal immigration.

Illinois needs lawmakers who will say “enough” to waste, fraud, and open-ended entitlement spending. This legislation is a reasonable, principled step in that direction — and it will only move forward if citizens demand it.

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