Donald Trump made his strongest move against illegal immigration yet Wednesday, signing an executive order that stops taxpayer money from going to undocumented migrants.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the move in a post on social media as the president was preparing to head back to Washington from Florida.
The order directs federal department and agencies to identify all federally funded programs currently providing any financial benefits to immigrants in the country illegally and take ‘corrective action.’
‘It ensures that Federal funds to states and localities will not be used to support “sanctuary” policies or assist illegal immigration,’ reads a White House fact sheet about the order.
The order also includes a mandate to improve benefit eligibility verification to make sure benefits are not going to immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
The White House fact sheet stated that Trump is ‘committed to safeguarding Federal public benefits for American citizens who are truly in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans.’
Federal law largely blocks undocumented immigrants from being eligible for any federal benefits.
Those restrictions have been longstanding and date back to a welfare reform law from 1996.
Even those who are in the country on temporary visas face serious restrictions while immigrants in the country legally face a five-year waiting period before they can qualify for benefits.
The executive order is the latest in a series of actions the president has taken to crackdown on illegal immigration since he took office.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday night, Trump said he thinks ICE is doing a ‘great job.’
Among his efforts taken on immigration, the president has also allowed the military to act as immigration and border enforcement officials and reprioritized the building of the border wall.
Trump moved to end so-called ‘catch and release’ which allows some migrants to remain in the U.S. while they wait for court proceedings, instead opting for detentions and deportations of those in the U.S. illegally.
He also stopped the refugee arrivals and paused the U.S. Refugee Admission Program pending a review.
More broadly, the president has also pushed to redefine birthright citizenship under the Fourteen Amendment, which is already being challenged in federal court.