Senator Banks Calls on Trump Administration to Recoup Billions in Welfare Benefits Paid to Immigrants

Republican Senator Jim Banks of Indiana is pressing key agencies in the Trump administration to recover what could amount to billions of dollars in welfare benefits paid to immigrants that he believes should be reimbursed by their sponsors.

In a letter sent Wednesday to secretaries of multiple federal departments, including Homeland Security, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development, Banks urged officials to hold immigrant sponsors accountable for welfare benefits used by those they sponsored, as required by the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“It is the policy of the United States that aliens should not depend on public resources,” Banks wrote in his letter, arguing that despite this principle, “most alien households receive means-tested benefits” such as Medicaid, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

The first-term senator, known for his conservative positions, contends that federal law requires sponsors of legal immigrants to reimburse the government for welfare benefits used by those they sponsored. He claims this legal requirement has largely gone unenforced.

Banks cited a study by the Center for Immigration Studies estimating that illegal immigrants alone cost American taxpayers approximately $68 billion annually in public education costs, $42 billion in welfare benefits, and $7 billion in medical treatment, which he says “eclipses the amount this group pays in taxes.”

Beyond benefits paid to undocumented immigrants, Banks argues the government “may also be owed repayment for a large portion of lawful use” by legal immigrants whose sponsors signed agreements to support them.

According to Banks, the Immigration and Nationality Act ensures self-sufficiency “by mandating repayment for benefits received by certain non-citizens.” He explained that those who sponsor relatives through legal immigration channels sign a contract agreeing to reimburse the federal government for any means-tested benefits used by the immigrant before they become a citizen.

For family visa programs, which represent the largest source of legal immigration to the United States, Banks noted these contracts can be enforced in court for ten years. An estimated 3.5 million immigrants have entered the country through this program since 2016.

“No records can be found of federal agencies requesting reimbursement” for benefits provided to immigrants entering through these programs, Banks stated, suggesting that “American taxpayers may well be owed a large amount of money.”

The senator requested the administration provide answers by March 1 regarding the total amount of benefits paid to immigrants under these sponsorship contracts and how much the government has sought to recover. He also asked for details on plans to enforce these contracts and steps agencies will take “to ensure that aliens do not become dependent on government support after entering the country.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Urban Development responded to Banks’ letter, telling Fox News Digital that HUD “is exploring all options to hold alien sponsors accountable and protect the American taxpayer.”

The Department of Agriculture clarified eligibility requirements, explaining that “non-citizens who have been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are not eligible to receive SNAP benefits unless they also have another immigration status that qualifies.” The spokesperson added that eligibility rules “can be complex and often depend on multiple factors such as immigration status and other requirements.”

Banks emphasized that his effort is about enforcing existing law. “Sponsors agreed to repay taxpayers if immigrants went on welfare, and the government needs to hold them to that promise,” he concluded.

The senator’s push comes amid broader Republican efforts to address immigration and welfare spending, with the Trump administration signaling a renewed focus on immigration enforcement and fiscal accountability.