By Makenna Sievertson for LAist
Originally published May 12, 2025
The Trump Administration has launched an investigation into California’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants.
Details on the program: The program, also known as CAPI, pays monthly cash benefits to people who aren’t eligible for Social Security benefits solely because of their immigration status. The program is completely state funded, according to the California Department of Social Services, and is designed for older adults, people with disabilities and those who are blind.
Why now: The Department of Homeland Security announced the investigation Monday.
The backstory: The department is looking into whether federal money was used to provide benefits to people without immigration status from January 2021 until now.
About the investigation: Federal investigators have started subpoenaing all records from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Services, which administers the program, including applications and immigration status.
Officials say: “While this subpoena focuses only on Los Angeles County — it is just the beginning,” Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement that she’ll follow the outcome of the investigation closely. “It’s critical that every program distributing taxpayer dollars operates with integrity and transparency,” she said. “Accountability and public trust must be maintained.”
Read on… for the latest developments on President Trump’s second term.
This report is reprinted with permission from Southern California Public Radio. © 2024 Southern California Public Radio. All rights reserved.
