By Kenneth Schrupp

California is spending $278.4 million this year on its “Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants” program that provides state-funded payments largely to qualified elderly and disabled non-citizens who were rejected from the federal Supplemental Security Income program due to their immigration status, state records show.

At the same time, the state estimates it faces a $18 billion budget deficit for the coming 2026-2027 fiscal year.

What they’re saying: “California is billions in the red and it is getting worse. So why are we providing cash benefits for people already outside the federal safety net while cutting Medi-Cal, mental health care, and disability services?” said California State Assembly Republican Caucus spokesman George Andrews in an email to The Center Squar

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