The decision comes after the DHS announced a comprehensive optimization of an immigrant database to verify non-citizen status nationwide.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer warned states of losing federal funding if they fail to comply with President Donald Trump’s directives on rewarding illegal immigrants with tax dollars, according to an April 25 statement issued by the Department of Labor.
“Our nation’s unemployment benefits exist solely for workers who are eligible to receive them,” Chavez-DeRemer wrote in a letter addressed to state governors. “To qualify for unemployment, one must be able and available to work, actively seeking work, and be legally authorized to accept employment in the United States. Unemployment benefits are not a handout for those in our country illegally.”
The secretary reminded all states that failing to fulfill existing legal obligations will result in the loss of federal funding through the Title III UI administrative grant.
The warning is pursuant to presidential memorandum, “Preventing Illegal Aliens from Obtaining Social Security Act Benefits,” and executive order 14218, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.”
Chavez-DeRemer also reminded states of an earlier communication by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, based on which, states can access the DHS immigration database called the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE), at no cost and use it to verify the immigration status of benefit claimants.
This is a “critical tool” to ensure “illegal immigrants do not access our nation’s unemployment benefits,” said the labor secretary.
“As a result of this change, I instructed the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to send a letter to all State Unemployment Insurance Administrators urging them to immediately start using SAVE for every initial and continued claim filed by an individual who indicates that they are not a U.S. citizen,” he said.
The SAVE database is aimed at helping agencies at federal, state, local, and tribal levels to confirm the immigration status and citizenship of individuals before issuing benefits.
A presidential memorandum signed on April 15 directed multiple federal agencies to take steps to prevent ineligible people, such as illegal immigrants, from receiving social security benefits.
