The state of California is under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security over allegations that it provided federal benefits to immigrants residing in the U.S. illegally.
At the center of the probe is the California Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), which is now facing a federal subpoena. Authorities claim the program may have enabled ineligible migrants, barred from receiving Social Security benefits due to their immigration status, to access public assistance, ABC7 reported.
The subpoena demands all records from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, which administers CAPI, covering the period from January 2021 to the present. Investigators are seeking to determine whether any ineligible individuals received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) through the Social Security Administration.
While CAPI serves as a vital support system for some aged, blind, and disabled non-citizens in California, it is now under federal scrutiny as part of a broader enforcement effort.
“Only lawful immigrants can receive the benefits of the cash program,” UC Davis Law Professor Kevin R. Johnson told the local outlet. He added that applicants must meet strict eligibility requirements.
Per a press release from DHS, HSI Los Angeles is subpoenaing the following records:
–Applicant’s Name and Date of Birth
–Copies of Applications
–Immigration Status
–Proof of Ineligibility for SSI from the Social Security Administration
–Affidavits in Support of the Application
“Radical left politicians in California prioritize illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens access to cash benefits,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “The Trump Administration is working together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally.
“If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over. While this subpoena focuses only on Los Angeles County, it is just the beginning,” she added.
On April 15, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the Memorandum on Preventing Illegal Aliens from Obtaining Social Security Act Benefits in an effort to deter illegal immigration and safeguard taxpayer resources.
The directive instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security—working in coordination with the Secretaries of Labor and Health and Human Services, the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, and the Attorney General—to take action to prevent ineligible illegal immigrants from receiving Social Security benefits.
It also prioritizes civil and criminal enforcement against states or localities that may be violating Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), DHS’s statement noted.
“There is some federal money attached, and that is why the Trump administration is seeking to determine whether or not the money is being spent consistent with the wishes of Congress,” Johnson told ABC7.
In response, the Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said the program is “for individuals with lawful status, legal protections, or those applying for them, including victims of crime and trafficking.”
“The question here is whether there is any real evidence that the program has been abused in some way or whether unlawful immigrants are receiving any kind of benefits from the program,” Johnson said.
“There is no real reason to think that there is,” he added, though it seems likely that the Trump administration didn’t launch its probe on a whim and is likely responding to some information that the program could have been improperly administered to at least some individuals in the country illegally.
“We don’t know if it might be used for immigration enforcement operations,” Johnson said of the records that have been subpoenaed.
According to the DHS press release, “Under the previous administration, more than 2 million ineligible illegal aliens received a Social Security Number in fiscal year 2024 alone.”
