Some illegal immigrants able to claim Social Security numbers and work permits under President Barack Obama's executive actions could stand to collect more than $35,000 in tax rebates from the IRS, Breitbart reported.
Illegal immigrants who had been paying taxes, including Social Security payroll taxes using fictitious numbers, could now be eligible to claim up to
four years' worth of tax credits intended for the working poor.
Obama's orders give the immigrants the right to obtain Social Security numbers. This enables them to file current and back tax returns for the years 2011-14 and attain years worth of tax benefits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.
A
Congressional Research Service memo dated Feb. 25 reports that as a result of the administration's policies, these immigrants could, depending on family circumstances, be eligible for as much as $35,560 under those tax credits,
Breitbart reported.
Republicans point to the IRS policy as proving that the president's "executive amnesty" rewards illegal behavior, according to Breitbart.
"This is basic economics: if you want more of something, you subsidize it. By subsidizing illegal entry with four years' worth of new tax credits, the IRS would promote lawlessness," said Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, in a statement.
"This program severely undermines the White House's lip-service to enforcing the law and would increase the burden on law-abiding taxpayers," he said.
Sasse and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, denounced the projected refunds as "amnesty bonuses," Breitbart reported.
The payments will not be automatically given to all immigrants. However, those with three or four children who paid no income tax could receive thousands of dollars in IRS tax credits if they file tax returns for this year and amended returns for past years, according to
Factcheck.org.