U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, is co-Chairman of Florida

Incredible as it sounds, illegal immigrants have been cashing in on a tax loophole and receiving more than $4 billion each year from the federal government.  Yet the Obama Administration has refused to close this loophole.  In fact, in his State of the Union address earlier this week, the President proposed to make permanent the tax policies of the 2009 Stimulus which helped quadruple these payouts to illegals!   

The loophole is a refundable tax credit intended to help hard-working American families with children.  Known as the Additional Child Tax Credit, families are able to receive up to $1,000 per child.  Unbelievably, illegal immigrants have been able to claim this tax credit even without a Social Security number.  

By abusing the child tax credit, illegals have received average payments of $1,800, with some receiving more than $10,000, according to the Treasury Department.  The abuse doesn’t end there—one news outlet has reported that a group of illegal immigrants in Indiana recently received $30,000 after claiming over 20 dependents that live in Mexico and have never even been to the United States. 

The United States tax code should not reward those who enter our country illegally!

In the last Congress, I co-sponsored legislation to end the abuse of the Child Tax Credit by requiring those filing a claim to provide a Social Security number – something illegal immigrants don’t have.  I intend to cosponsor this bill when it is reintroduced this year.  If enacted, it would save taxpayers billions over the next decade. 

It’s time we put an end to this waste, fraud and abuse!

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, is co-Chairman of Florida