Congressman Taylor Applauds Senate Introduction of Deporting Fraudsters Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dave Taylor (OH-02) today applauded the introduction of a Senate companion bill for H.R. 1958, his Deporting Fraudsters Act, by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Mike Lee (R-UT). This bill would make defrauding the United States or unlawfully obtaining benefits intended for U.S. taxpayers deportable offenses and grounds for inadmissibility under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“The last Administration’s open border policies put our communities at risk and made every state a border state. Under President Trump, Republicans are bringing back common sense. If an illegal alien defrauds the United States or steals benefits from our country’s most vulnerable, it should be a no-brainer that they be permanently removed from the United States,” said Congressman Taylor. “Law-abiding, hard-working Ohioans should not have their tax dollars stolen by illegal aliens who then walk free in our Nation, and I’m proud to champion this bill in the House as Senator Cruz leads the charge in the Senate.”

“Americans who meet eligibility requirements should be the only ones to receive taxpayer-funded benefits,” said Senator Cruz, “Under the Biden administration’s border policies, abuse of these programs by illegal aliens increased. This bill will stem that abuse, and I urge my colleagues to pass this bill without delay.”

“Illegal aliens who falsify documents, steal identities, and cheat the system to gain public benefits meant for American citizens, including SNAP or Medicaid, should unquestionably be deported. By ensuring any illegal alien who defrauds the U.S. government can be removed from our country, this commonsense legislation would end the America-last policies of Joe Biden and rightfully put Americans first,” said Senator Cornyn.

“For too long, illegal aliens have taken advantage of and burdened our bloated welfare system, contributing to waste, fraud, and abuse. By some estimates, these individuals receive $42 billion in public benefits every year. This bill will ensure that illegal aliens who steal the tax dollars of hardworking Americans are subject to deportation,” said Senator Lee. “As Democrats put crucial programs like SNAP at risk in a cynical attempt to hold the American people hostage for political gain, it is more important than ever to ensure that public benefits are focused on U.S. citizens and legal residents. Those who invade our country and then abuse our generosity through fraud and theft should be promptly deported.”

Specifically, this bill will:

• Make the act of defrauding the United States government or stealing taxpayer dollars intended for U.S. citizens (such as SNAP or Social Security benefits) a deportable and inadmissible crime;
• Establish that aliens who admit to committing these crimes are inadmissible for any return to the United States.

The full bill text of the Deporting Fraudsters Act is available here.

Background:

Congressman Taylor introduced H.R. 1958, the Deporting Fraudsters Act, in the House of Representatives on March 6, 2025, to crack down on illegal immigrants who have claimed U.S. taxpayer benefits without having to repay those benefits or face deportation. In 2023, 48% of illegal immigrant households reportedly received food-related welfare benefits, with 17% using SNAP. It’s estimated that 59% of households headed by illegal immigrants received taxpayer dollars through one or more welfare programs providing cash, food assistance, Medicaid, or housing.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which lists offenses making an alien deportable or inadmissible to the United States, does not currently include welfare fraud as a deportable offense. Instead, it simply cites “moral turpitude” as a catch-all cause. The Deporting Fraudsters Act would close this loophole, protecting taxpayer benefits for American citizens and holding illegal aliens accountable for their actions.

Representatives Mike Kennedy (UT-03), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Derek Schmidt (KS-02), Nancy Mace (SC-01), Bob Onder (MO-03), Mark Messmer (IN-08), Bob Latta (OH-05), Sheri Biggs (SC-03), Brandon Gill (TX-26), John Rose (TN-06), Mike Haridopolos (FL-08), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Michael Rulli (OH-06), Richard McCormick (GA-07), Josh Brecheen (OK-02), John McGuire (VA-05), Mark Harris (NC-08), James Baird (IN-04), Addison McDowell (NC-06), Tim Moore (NC-14), and Russell Fry (SC-07) joined Congressman Taylor in the introduction of this bill. 

The full bill text for the House version of the Deporting Fraudsters Act is available here.

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