Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called for stronger immigration enforcement and the elimination of taxpayer-funded benefits for certain noncitizens. He argued that congressional inaction is negatively impacting border towns, emergency rooms, and legal immigrants.

Paul made these remarks in a post on X on Sunday, criticizing Congress for failing to act on immigration policy. He stated that his approach "starts with enforcement and ends with incentives." Paul referred to his End Welfare for Non-Citizens Act as part of this strategy.

Policy Context

Earlier this month, Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi noted weakness in the U.S. job market for both foreign-born and native-born workers. Zandi highlighted that higher unemployment among native-born workers challenges claims that restricting immigration would boost jobs and wages.

In July, billionaire investor Bill Ackman called for immigration reforms to retain highly skilled talent. He argued that the U.S. should allow top researchers and creators to remain and contribute to the economy.

Administration Measures

The Trump administration reportedly considered a $100,000 bond for some green card applicants as part of its immigration crackdown. The administration stated the measure was intended to strengthen enforcement and ensure immigrants could support themselves financially.

Last month, the Treasury Department and IRS proposed restricting the refundable portions of four federal tax credits for immigrants who did not meet federal eligibility requirements. The affected credits included the child tax credit, earned income tax credit, adoption tax credit, and American opportunity tax credit.

Under the proposal, only U.S. citizens, nationals, and qualified aliens would be eligible for the refundable portions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move would prevent taxpayer-funded benefits from going to people barred from receiving them. Tax experts warned the changes could particularly affect lower-income noncitizens with work authorization.