Trump admin prepares to go after noncitizens who defraud entitlement programs

The White House announced Tuesday plans to help protect Social Security benefits from noncitizens and ramp up anti-fraud efforts.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt outlined key points from the memorandum to reporters at a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

Through the memorandum, Trump aims to stop noncitizens and “other ineligible people” from obtaining social security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits, in part by expanding fraud prosecution efforts across the country.

“[The memorandum] will expand the Social Security Administration's fraud prosecutor program to at least 50 U.S. attorney offices and establishes a Medicare and Medicaid fraud prosecution program in 15 U.S. attorney offices,” Leavitt said.

The Social Security Administration's Inspector General will also be required to audit earnings reports for people aged 100 and older whose records have shown conflicting information to fight identity theft. The memorandum also directs the SSA to look into “[reinstating] the use of civil monetary penalties against individuals who engage in SS fraud in an effort that has been paused for several years” Leavitt said.

Former President Joe Biden Tuesday night is giving his first address since leaving office and reportedly plans to talk about social security under the Trump administration.

“These taxpayer funded benefits should be only for eligible taxpayers and President Biden should think about what he did in his last term, which is allow tens of millions of illegal people into our country, many of whom were fraudulently receiving these benefits,” Leavitt said.