Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer warned governors that they could lose their federal funds if they extend unemployment benefits to illegal immigrants.
In nearly identical letters to all 50 governors, Chavez-DeRemer warned governors to comply with President Donald Trump’s directives, ensuring tax dollars aren’t spent on illegal immigrants. She warned that states that fail to meet these directives could see their federal funding cut off through the Title III UI administrative grant.
“Our nation’s unemployment benefits exist solely for workers who are eligible to receive them.
To qualify for unemployment, one must be able and available to work, actively seeking work,
and be legally authorized to accept employment in the United States. Unemployment benefits are
not a handout for those in our country illegally,” she wrote.
She referenced a letter last week from the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration urging unemployment insurance administrators in the states to use the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE immigration database, offered at no extra cost. The system allows states to easily verify the immigration status of those who file claims.
“I am committed to ensuring that the U.S. Department of Labor enforces the law and will personally work to safeguard Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars. I look forward to working with you on this effort,” Chavez-DeRemer concluded.
SOCIAL SECURITY TO PUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ON ‘DEAD LIST’ IN EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE SELF-DEPORTATION
The Trump administration has taken several moves to strip illegal immigrants of welfare benefits, in turn encouraging self deportation. Earlier this month, the Social Security Administration undertook an effort to label illegal immigrants as dead, stripping them of Social Security benefits.
The move would effectively bar illegal immigrants from collecting benefits, including Medicare, Medicaid, or unemployment insurance, among other privileges of having a Social Security number. Putting illegal immigrants on the “death master list” would also likely cut off access to bank accounts and credit cards.