The state of California is under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security over allegations that it provided federal benefits to immigrants residing in the U.S. illegally.
At the center of the probe is the California Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), which is now facing a federal subpoena. Authorities claim the program may have enabled ineligible migrants, barred from receiving Social Security benefits due to their immigration status, to access public assistance, ABC7 reported.
The subpoena demands all records from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, which administers CAPI, covering the period from January 2021 to the present. Investigators are seeking to determine whether any ineligible individuals received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) through the Social Security Administration.
While CAPI serves as a vital support system for some aged, blind, and disabled non-citizens in California, it is now under federal scrutiny as part of a broader enforcement effort.
“Only lawful immigrants can receive the benefits of the cash program,” UC Davis Law Professor Kevin R. Johnson told the local outlet. He added that applicants must meet strict eligibility requirements.
Per a press release from DHS, HSI Los Angeles is subpoenaing the following records: