The Trump administration has been actively implementing a multi-pronged strategy to target the incentives that draw illegal aliens to cross the border into the United States, as part of an effort to curb illegal immigration and prevent a crisis similar to the one former President Joe Biden allowed during his one and only term in the White House.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently announced a set of new regulations to provide additional clarification for existing federal law and prevent illegal aliens from collecting government benefits. Bessent made the announcement on his X account, writing, “Under @POTUS, the days of illegal aliens collecting taxpayer-funded benefits are over.”
“The federal law is clear, and @USTreasury is enforcing it. American taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for benefits going to those who are barred by law from receiving them. These proposed regulations end the abuse, protect the integrity of the tax system, and put Americans first,” he went on to say.
According to a report published by The Federalist, the new policies are a critical component of the Trump administration’s plan to help take back the country from the massive inflow of illegal aliens that entered the country under Biden’s watch. The newly proposed regulations aim to clarify enforcement of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA).
The statute, which was made into a law in 1996 after being signed by President Bill Clinton, says that only U.S. citizens and qualified legal immigrants are eligible to receive federal public benefits. Under new regulations, there are four kinds of tax refunds that are considered “federal public benefits,” which means that illegal aliens are not eligible to receive them.
The four tax credits include the adoption tax credit, the child tax credit, the American opportunity tax credit, and the earned income tax credit. Any individual American citizen or qualified legal immigrant can claim these credits, however, the Treasury Department, along with the IRS, is looking to prevent illegal aliens from receiving these tax refunds.
If these new regulations take effect following the legally mandated notice-and-comment process, illegal migrants living in the United States will not be able to receive these four credits. If illegal aliens attempt to dishonestly claim the credits, they will be held liable for perjury. The regulations and clarifications are an essential part of the president’s work to close any loopholes allowing illegal aliens to exploit American benefits.
"*" indicates required fields
In February 2025, President Trump signed an executive order called, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,” which provided detailed instructions for heads of all executive departments and agencies to identify all federally funded programs that are enabling illegals to obtain benefits and then put a stop to them by the enforcement of applicable laws.
In order to take back the country from the massive inflow of illegal immigrants that have taken up residence in the United States, forcible arrests and deportations are necessary, which the Trump administration has been carrying out effectively since the president took office in 2025. However, it’s difficult to arrest, detain, and then deport tens of millions of illegals who are already in the country.
Realizing the difficulty of successfully carrying out such a mission, the Trump administration is looking for ways to disincentivize coming into the country illegally, while also working tirelessly to ensure the southern border is kept secure. The hope is that without the incentive of drawing on federally funded benefits, many illegals will simply choose to self-deport.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video