The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it is investigating a state-funded California program that provides financial assistance to some people who legally immigrate to the United States as the White House continues to pursue the crackdown on immigration.

For years, California’s Immigration Cash Assistance Program (CAPI) has provided monthly cash assistance to seniors, blind and disabled immigrants with legal status, a much-needed lifeline for vulnerable permanent residents, refugees, asylum granted, and more. However, when announcing the investigation into the plan on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security accused the plan of “providing federal benefits” to undocumented immigrants, with unconfirmed claims circulating among the political right in the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security statement said the Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) had summoned the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, which runs the CAPI program. According to the statement, the agency (ICE) within the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) was reportedly studying whether the Social Security Agency began receiving federal supplementary safety income (SSI) from January 2021, according to the statement.

However, California officials have long insisted that their CAPI program is fully state-funded, serving older people, blind people or immigrants with legal status, including permanent residents. In addition, immigrants who first require cash from the CAPI program to be denied SSI assistance.

Nevertheless, ITC Secretary Kristi Noem called the investigation “just the beginning” and said in April that it directed various federal agencies to “ensure that “unqualified (immigrants) do not receive funds from the Social Security Act.”

Trump and his allies continue to push for lies about undocumented immigrants to obtain social security benefits. In fact, undocumented immigrants do pay taxes, but they do not receive any Social Security benefits.

Some undocumented immigrants have obtained work permits when conducting legal proceedings and they are eligible for social security numbers. They have to pay taxes and pay. However, they are not eligible for any Social Security benefits.

Still, Trump’s 2024 social media post mistakenly stated that Democrats “allow invasion of immigrants” to “kill” Social Security. Among those who promote this lie is Elon Musk, a South African supporter of billionaire Trump, who reportedly worked illegally in the United States briefly after giving up a graduate study program in California.

Neum pushed for similar falsehood in a Department of Homeland Security statement on Monday.

"Radical politicians in California prioritize illegal foreigners over our own citizens, including giving illegal foreigners access to cash benefits," Noam said. "The Trump administration is working together to determine abuse and exploitation of the public interest and to ensure that those who are illegal are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally."

The Trump administration has tried to cut federal funds to so-called shelter jurisdictions that are seen as boycotting the president's agenda for mass deportation. A federal judge prevented the Trump administration from cutting funds in a battle now in court.