The State of California is once again under fire—not for helping its own citizens, but for allegedly prioritizing illegal aliens over law-abiding Americans. In a bold move, President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security has launched a full-scale investigation into a California program accused of funneling welfare dollars to individuals who have no legal right to be in the United States, let alone receive government benefits.

At the center of the scandal is California’s “Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants” (CAPI), a welfare scheme that hands out taxpayer money to illegal aliens who are ineligible for Social Security due to their immigration status. According to DHS, this is a direct violation of federal law—and thanks to a Trump executive order, the days of this open-borders freeloading may soon be over.

In a scathing statement released May 19, the DHS confirmed that its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division has issued a Title 8 subpoena to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services—the agency administering CAPI. The goal? To uncover whether California bureaucrats illegally provided *Supplemental Security Income* (SSI)—intended for needy American citizens—to illegal aliens from January 2021 to the present.

And let’s be clear: that’s money meant for elderly, disabled, and low-income Americans—not foreign nationals breaking our laws.

This crackdown follows President Trump’s April 15, 2025, executive memorandum titled *Preventing Illegal Aliens from Obtaining Social Security Act Benefits*. The memo makes it crystal clear: Social Security is for *Americans*, not illegal immigrants. Trump’s order empowered DHS, in coordination with the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Attorney General, to enforce the law and stop states like California from draining Social Security to fund their far-left immigration fantasies.

And enforcement is coming swiftly.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem didn’t mince words when addressing the situation: “Radical left politicians in California prioritize illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens access to cash benefits.” She added, “If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over.”

Let that message echo from Sacramento to San Diego.

Noem also noted that this is just the beginning. While the current subpoena focuses on Los Angeles County—the heart of California’s welfare state—the investigation will expand. The Trump administration intends to root out this abuse statewide.

This comes after the Biden administration’s disastrous open-borders agenda allowed over **2 million** illegal aliens to receive Social Security Numbers in fiscal year 2024 alone—each one a potential gateway to public benefits meant for Americans.

Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, that ends now. DHS will ensure that hard-working Americans aren’t footing the bill for those who broke the law to enter the country. And with patriots like Kristi Noem at the helm, the message is loud and clear: America is back in charge, and it’s putting Americans first.