The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Deporting Fraudsters Act, a commonsense measure aimed at protecting American taxpayers and safeguarding critical benefits programs from abuse – including those that seniors and AMAC members rely on. The bill now heads to the Senate, where AMAC Action is urging lawmakers to pass it without delay.
The legislation, introduced by Congressman Dave Taylor (R-OH), would ensure that any illegal alien who defrauds the United States or steals taxpayer-funded benefits is deemed inadmissible and subject to deportation. It would also bar such individuals from reentering the country, reinforcing accountability and restoring integrity to programs intended to support American citizens – particularly seniors who rely on Social Security, Medicare, and other essential services.
AMAC Action expressed strong and early support for the bill, emphasizing the urgent need to crack down on widespread fraud that is draining government resources. According to estimates from the White House Office of Management and Budget, the federal government spends more than $1 trillion annually on welfare and social service programs, with between $233 billion and $521 billion lost to fraud each year.
High-profile cases across the country underscore the scale of the problem. In Minnesota, a massive daycare fraud scheme – largely perpetrated by migrants from Somalia – allegedly siphoned billions in taxpayer dollars, with nearly 100 individuals charged so far. Similar abuses have been uncovered in California, where $181 million was lost to EBT fraud, and in New York, where a $120 million Medicare and Medicaid fraud scheme was exposed.
“This is about protecting the benefits that American seniors and taxpayers have earned,” said Andy Mangione, Senior Vice President of AMAC Action. “For too long, weak enforcement has allowed bad actors, including individuals who have no legal right to be in this country, to exploit these programs. The Deporting Fraudsters Act sends a clear message that if you steal from the American people, you will face consequences, including removal from the United States.”
Despite the bill’s straightforward intent, 186 House Democrats voted against it – effectively opposing the deportation of individuals who commit welfare fraud while unlawfully present in the country. That vote highlights a stark divide over how to address the growing crisis of government benefit fraud.
AMAC Action is now calling on the Senate to swiftly pass the bill. At a time when hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars are lost to fraud each year, the Deporting Fraudsters Act represents a necessary and long-overdue step toward restoring accountability. Ensuring that those who abuse the system are removed from the country is not just sound policy – it is a basic obligation that lawmakers have to the American people.
