The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Monday that it is investigating the California Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) for allegedly providing benefits to migrants who are in the United States illegally.
The Title 8 subpoena issued by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) requests the release of records from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS), the agency that administers the state program.
According to CAPI’s official website, the program is “100% state-funded and designed to provide monthly cash benefits to non-citizen aged, blind, and disabled individuals who are ineligible for Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment (SSI/SSP) solely because of their immigration status.”
However, DHS is seeking to “determine whether ineligible illegal aliens received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the Social Security Administration between January 2021 and the present,” the statement said. The subpoena focuses on Los Angeles County, but the department said in its statement that “it is just the beginning.”
It was not immediately clear whether the scope of the investigation will be expanded to other communities.
Among the documents that the DPSS must submit are:
- Name and date of birth of the applicant.
- Copies of applications.
- Immigration status.
- Proof of SSI ineligibility from the Social Security Administration.
- Affidavits in support of the application.
DHS Director Kristi Noem, known for her TV commercials urging people to self-deport, said in the statement: “The Trump Administration is working together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and ensure that those in this country illegally do not receive federal benefits or other financial incentives to remain illegally.”
NBCLA has reached out to the governor’s office for comment.
