Many of them also received student loans, tax refunds, and food stamps, according to the Department of Government Efficiency.
Numerous illegal immigrants with terrorist or criminal links who entered the United States under the previous administration received several government benefits, according to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“Under the Biden administration, it was routine for Border Patrol to admit aliens into the United States with no legal status and minimal screening,” DOGE said in an April 11 post on social media platform X.
According to the post, which was republished by The White House, the Customs and Border Patrol has so far identified “a subset of 6.3k individuals paroled into the United States since 2023 on the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center watchlist or with criminal records.” An immigration parole allows an illegal immigrant to temporarily live and potentially work in the country without having to fear getting deported.
“These paroles have since been terminated with immediate effect. Despite having no other legal status, paroled aliens are able to file for work authorization and receive social security numbers,” the post stated.
All the 6,300 paroled illegal immigrants with terrorism or criminal histories carried a social security number, DOGE said. Out of these, 905 individuals collected Medicaid, totaling $276,000 in payouts. Forty-one received unemployment insurance, collecting $42,000 worth of benefits.
In addition, 22 got federal student loans worth $280,000; 409 received $751,000 in tax refunds in just 2024 alone; and many were recipients of food stamp benefits, according to DOGE.
DOGE’s report comes as the Trump administration has taken various measures cracking down on illegal immigration and targeting those with terror ties.
On Feb. 19, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing agencies to identify federally funded programs offering financial assistance to illegal immigrants. The order asked agencies to ensure that such funds, granted to states and localities, are not used to “support sanctuary policies or assist illegal immigration.”
“With this Executive Order, President Trump is ensuring taxpayer resources are used to protect the interests of American citizens, not illegal aliens,” said a White House fact sheet.
