President Donald Trump has launched a sharp criticism against President Joe Biden’s reckless executive orders on immigration, accusing Biden of threatening Social Security and Medicaid by granting a widespread amnesty to illegal immigrants. Trump’s campaign argues that these policies will burden federal entitlement programs designed to support American seniors.

On Tuesday, Biden issued two executive orders providing a pathway to legal status for a significant number of undocumented immigrants. The first order allows about 500,000 illegal immigrants who have been in the U.S. for at least ten years and are married to American citizens to apply for green cards. Additionally, 50,000 migrant children of illegal immigrants married to U.S. citizens will also be eligible for green cards. The second order grants work visas to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients who have graduated from American universities.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump’s campaign, condemned Biden’s actions, stating that the amnesty would add a substantial number of illegal immigrants to Social Security and Medicaid, which are already under financial strain. “Biden’s mass amnesty plan will undoubtedly lead to a greater surge in migrant crime, cost taxpayers millions of dollars they cannot afford, overwhelm public services, and steal Social Security and Medicare benefits from American seniors to fund benefits for illegals — draining the programs Americans paid into their entire working lives,” Leavitt asserted.

Leavitt further criticized Biden for creating what she described as an invitation for more illegal immigration by signaling potential amnesty. Jason Richwine of the Center for Immigration Studies supports this view, noting that amnesty would impose significant costs on Social Security and Medicare. Richwine explained that while many illegal immigrants contribute to these systems, they are currently ineligible for benefits. Granting them legal status would turn them into beneficiaries, thus straining the system.

Richwine’s research indicates that illegal immigrants typically earn less and work fewer years in the U.S., leading to a higher return on their contributions compared to average participants. His analysis estimates that amnesty for 10 million illegal immigrants could cost Social Security and Medicare approximately $1.3 trillion, equivalent to a one-time transfer of 6% of GDP. The projected cost of Biden’s current amnesty plan could be as high as $71 billion.

The Trump campaign’s critique underscores the potential economic impact of Biden’s immigration policies on federal entitlement programs. As Biden continues to pursue immigration reform, addressing these financial concerns will be critical to ensuring the sustainability of Social Security and Medicare while managing the integration of new legal residents.