Labor secretary tells states they could lose grants if illegal immigrants collect jobless benefits

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer wrote to governors on Friday informing them that her department might strip federal grants from states that permit illegal immigrants to collect unemployment benefits.

“Our nation’s unemployment benefits exist solely for workers who are eligible to receive them,” she wrote in the letter. “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.”

Trump signed an executive actions intended to prevent illegal immigrants from collecting taxpayer-funded public benefits. The executive actions referenced in the letter include, “Preventing Illegal Aliens from Obtaining Social Security Act Benefits” and “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.”