Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Federal Services Under the Trump Administration

By Mary Alice Miller
Once upon a time the phrase “promote the general welfare” in the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution meant something. But in this second term of the Trump administration, it seems the general welfare of the ultra-wealthy takes precedent.

On July 10, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Banned illegal aliens from accessing taxpayer-funded services. The directive stems from a February 19 executive order that Trump signed “to ensure taxpayer resources are not used to incentivize or support illegal immigration.”

“For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Today’s action changes that—it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.”

On that same day, the U.S. Department of Education announced it will “end taxpayer subsidization of illegal aliens in career, technical, and adult education programs.” Postsecondary education programs such as Pell Grants and student loans “will continue to be inaccessible to illegal immigrants.”

“Postsecondary education programs funded by the federal government should benefit American citizens, not illegal aliens,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “The Department will ensure that taxpayer funds are reserved for citizens and individuals who have entered our country through legal means who meet federal eligibility criteria.”

HHS has listed Head Start is among the programs classified as “federal public benefits”. Others include Community Behavioral Health Clinics, Mental Health Services, Health Center Program, Health Workforce Programs not otherwise previously covered (including grants, loans, scholarships, payments, and loan repayments), Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Prevention, and Recovery Support Services, Assistance in Transition from Homelessness Grant Program, Educational and Training Voucher Program, Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program, and Title X Family Planning Program.

The new policy will take effect immediately.
These directives added to the cuts to Medicaid, hospitals and SNAP under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed by Trump on July 4 will place a great strain on states that must balance their budgets while providing health and education services to residents.

“I’ve been very clear: no state can fully undo the damage in this bill or backfill cuts of this scale,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m working with the Legislature to brace for the impact and protect as many New Yorkers as possible because your family is my fight. I will never turn my back on New Yorkers or the values that we share.”

According to a statement from Hochul, “The changes will eliminate insurance coverage for millions of New Yorkers, destabilize health insurance programs statewide, and have an overall fiscal impact on the State and the New York health care system of almost $13 billion per year. These changes will make it harder for providers statewide to keep operating, making it more difficult for all New Yorkers to find care when they need it.”

“By passing this bill, House Republicans have rubber-stamped Donald Trump’s cruel and dangerous agenda, one that rips Medicaid away from 1.5 million New Yorkers, slashes $13 billion from our healthcare system, and raises costs for working families,” said State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

“As we continue to assess the full scope of these devastating cuts, it’s clear that the damage will leave our state deeply vulnerable. All of the progress we’ve made is under threat. No state can fully fill the hole this bill has blown open but we are committed to doing everything in our power to protect New Yorkers and keep our communities thriving.”

“This bill will devastate the lives of countless families across our state, especially our most vulnerable neighbors. By cutting vital programs like SNAP and Medicaid, the administration has indicated that they care more about the pockets of their billionaire friends than they do about the families, children and people with disabilities that rely on this funding to survive day to day,” said Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie.

“I am truly disgusted by the public servants – especially New York’s seven Republican members of Congress – who voted for this and continue to lie about the impact this will have on their communities. They should be honest about the fact that they stood by their billionaire donors at a cost of their neighbors’ access to food, healthcare and essential services.”

“The cuts in this bill represent real harm to real people,” said State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud. “Cutting essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP will hurt vulnerable individuals and families, increase hunger, and destabilize our health care system.

These changes not only put over a million New Yorkers at risk of losing health coverage, but they also shift unsustainable costs to our state and local governments. This is a direct attack on the most underserved members in our communities, and it will leave our families, hospitals, and small businesses struggling.”

“The Trump administration is choosing to strip vulnerable children of the tools they need to succeed. For decades, programs like Head Start have improved the well-being of low-income families by preparing children for school by addressing their cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development.

Now, the Trump administration is cruelly targeting undocumented children by barring them from this critical lifeline–an escalation of its anti-immigrant agenda.” said Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition.

“All children, regardless of immigration status, deserve our care–because they are children,” Awawdeh added. “When the government denies access to education, safety, and care to the next generation, it doesn’t just harm those children; it harms the health of our communities. We demand that the Trump Administration immediately reverse this inhumane policy and protect every child’s right to learn, grow, and build a better future for themselves.”