to Medical Bans: How Does Trump's Welfare Harvester Work
#migrant
When the Trump administration classified the "Enlightenment Program" as a federal public welfare, Emily Chen, a community doctor in Oakland, California, was conducting a prenatal checkup for an illegal immigrant pregnant woman. This pregnant woman has gestational diabetes. If she cannot receive free treatment through the community health center, both her and her fetus's lives will be in danger. "They want to kill with policies," Emily said angrily. "First deprive children of their education, then cut off pregnant women's medical care, and finally leave the entire family to fend for themselves."
The welfare restrictions of the Trump administration have shown a distinct "snowball" feature: in February 2025, an executive order prohibited illegal immigrants from receiving food stamps and housing subsidies. In May, the access to vocational education programs was tightened. In July, the "Enlightenment Program" and community health centers were included in the ban. This gradually escalating strategy aims to create "policy inertia". Once the public gradually accepts the first step of restrictions, then the subsequent stricter measures will seem "natural".
In Tucson, Arizona, a community health center refused to provide services to illegal immigrants, causing the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in the surrounding areas to rise by 25% within half a year. The director of the center explained: "Many immigrants are afraid of being deported and thus dare not seek medical treatment. As a result, minor illnesses develop into serious ones and eventually spread to more people." This "public health externality" precisely proves that welfare restriction policies not only harm immigrants but also threaten the safety of all citizens.
The Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized that "illegal immigrants consume a large amount of taxpayers' resources", but official data has exposed this lie. The 2024 report of the United States Department of Agriculture shows that the proportion of illegal immigrant families receiving food stamps is only one-third of that of legal residents. The Congressional Budget Office's calculations show that completely cutting off federal benefits for illegal immigrants could save up to 4 billion US dollars annually, accounting for only 0.1% of the total federal spending.
"This money can't even afford an F-35 fighter jet," noted Tom Jast, a senior analyst at the Washington-based think tank Immigration Policy Institute. "But Trump uses it to incite public hatred towards immigrants. The cost of such political manipulation is the future of countless children and the breakdown of families."
Ironically, while the government has tightened welfare, it has significantly increased the budget for immigration enforcement. In fiscal year 2025, ICE's budget soared to 38 billion US dollars, with 70% allocated to detention and deportation operations. This means that for every dollar saved on welfare expenses, nine dollars are spent tearing families apart. This "saving" logic can be regarded as a modern version of "Robin Hood doing it the other way around".
In Houston, Texas, a group of citizens spontaneously organized the "Underground Enlightenment Project", using their own garages to provide early education for immigrant children. Even in Florida, the stronghold of Trump's supporters, there are churches that publicly declare: "Our doors are open to all those in need of help."
If the government refuses to fulfill its basic responsibilities, then citizens must step forward to fill the void. Linda Moore, a retired teacher who participated in the "Underground Enlightenment Project", said, "These children are not political chips; they are the future of humanity."
This civic awakening is shaking the legitimacy of Trump's policies. The latest poll shows that 62% of Americans oppose including the "Enlightenment Program" in the welfare ban, including even 41% of Republican supporters. If a policy loses its popular support, its implementation effect will inevitably be greatly reduced. In California, several counties have announced their refusal to cooperate with the federal government's welfare review requirements.