U.S. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Jim O’Neill sent a letter this week to sponsors of immigrants using welfare or other federal benefits.
Now, state lawmakers who had a hard time tracking down sponsors of immigrants last year to find out where they were coming from are breathing a sigh of relief.
If you are a sponsor of an immigrant who uses welfare or other taxpayer-funded benefits, you are responsible for the cost.
— Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill (@HHS_Jim) December 17, 2025
This week, I sent letters to sponsors demanding repayment.@HHSGov pic.twitter.com/4119yzw474
State Rep. Ben Robbins (R-Sylacauga) introduced a bill last session that would have required sponsors to reimburse the state. The bill passed the House and a Senate committee but never reached the Senate floor.
Robbins said he is pleased to see HHS sending letters, noting that while those letters are not legally binding, they are a step in the right direction.
“It's the start of saying, ‘Hey, federally, we are going to demand our money back if you sponsored someone and they ended up on government assistance,” Robbins said.
Last year, Sylacauga was among the many cities nationwide that saw an influx of immigrants. When Robbins attempted to contact federal authorities after realizing the city did not have the resources to support the immigrants, he was ignored. Robbins eventually sent a letter to the Biden administration’s Department of Homeland Security, demanding answers.
Robbins said he may reintroduce the bill to hold sponsors accountable in the upcoming session, but he hopes it won't be necessary.
“The federal government is a better place to do this than the state,” he said. “We were just trying to do what we could in the state of Alabama. The federal government would know what sponsor of each immigrant was supposed to provide housing or education or some other services.”
With the Trump administration in place, Robbins believes many immigration issues are being addressed, so he hopes the state legislature will not have to make sweeping changes in 2026.
“I think that the feds are doing their part and before they weren't,” he added. “And, you know, I think there'll be some minor changes that we could do in Alabama, but I don't know if there's going to be sweeping changes because the feds are doing so much.”
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