On November 29, 2025, the US Secretary of the Treasury, Benson, declared that the Department of Treasury is actively working on cutting off federal benefits for “illegal immigrants.” On the same day, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the Department of Treasury issued a warning aimed at combating cross-border fund transfers by illegal immigrants.
Benson posted on the social media platform X, saying, “Under the directive of President Trump, we are striving to cut off federal benefits for illegal immigrants and reserve these benefits for American citizens.”
He further stated that the Department of Treasury has announced the release of proposed regulations to clarify that certain individual income tax refund benefits will no longer apply to illegal immigrants and other ineligible foreigners, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), and Saver’s Match Credit.
According to a report by the US media outlet Breitbart, researchers estimate that illegal immigrants with Social Security numbers may have received $2.9 billion in cash subsidies through tax refunds, with $2 billion from the EITC and approximately $890 million from the ACTC.
Furthermore, research suggests that illegal immigrants possessing Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers may receive between $870 million to $1.6 billion in additional child tax credits.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the Department of Treasury issued a warning on Friday to prevent illegal immigrants from using the US financial system to transfer illicitly obtained funds. In recent years, the US has faced substantial cross-border fund transfers annually, including remittances from individuals within the US. This year, the US has implemented various measures highlighting the risks posed by cross-border financial activities.
Secretary Benson stated, “If you are illegally present, then our financial system has no place for you. The abuse of our financial institutions by illegal immigrants to transfer their illicitly obtained funds will be stopped.”