Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., listens during the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing for Secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (Bill Clark )
Banks cites a study by the Center for Immigration Studies that posit that illegal aliens alone cost American taxpayers an estimated $68 billion a year in public education costs, $42 billion in welfare, and $7 billion in medical treatment, which he said is "eclipsing the amount this group pays in taxes."
Aside from the benefits paid out contrary to the law to illegal aliens, Banks said the government "may also be owed repayment for a large portion of lawful use."
"It is the policy of the United States that aliens should not depend on public resources," Banks wrote in the letter.
Despite this, Banks wrote that "most alien households receive means-tested [income-based] benefits," such as Medicaid, SNAP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
"The immigration laws do not tolerate this rate of government dependence," he wrote, pointing to a portion of the Immigration and Nationality Act that he said ensures self-sufficiency "by mandating repayment for benefits received by certain non-citizens."
SENATE REPUBLICANS PUSH TO DEPORT, DENATURALIZE FRAUDSTERS AMID MINNESOTA SCANDAL
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)
In response to the letter, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development told Fox News Digital that HUD "is exploring all options to hold alien sponsors accountable and protect the American taxpayer."
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A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture told Fox News Digital 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 USDA spokesperson said "the rules governing eligibility for our programs, including SNAP, can be complex and often depend on multiple factors such as immigration status and other requirements."
"For example, Haitian nationals granted TPS are not eligible for SNAP just because they have TPS. However, they may qualify if they also meet the definition of a Cuban and Haitian entrant (CHE) under Section 501(e) of the Refugee Education and Assistance Act of 1980," they said, adding, "Individuals who are eligible based on their immigration status, such as being classified as a Cuban or Haitian entrant, must also satisfy other SNAP eligibility requirements such as income and resource limits."
Meanwhile, Banks told Fox News Digital "this is about enforcing the law that’s already on the books."
"Sponsors agreed to repay taxpayers if immigrants went on welfare, and the government needs to hold them to that promise," he concluded.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-firebrand-urges-trump-agencies-claw-back-massive-taxpayer-benefits-paid-out-to-immigrants