In a decisive move signaling a new era of accountability, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has declared a stringent ban on individuals receiving government assistance from wiring U.S. dollars out of the country. This bold action is part of a sweeping crackdown on federal social benefits abuse, particularly spotlighting Minnesota, and includes intense IRS audits targeting banks suspected of money laundering.
Secretary Bessent has previously voiced grave concerns that remittances sent from the Somali community in Minnesota have, alarmingly, fallen into the hands of the Muslim terror group al-Shabaab. He has now escalated the call for these funds to face much closer scrutiny, understanding that taxpayer dollars must never inadvertently fuel America's enemies.
“If you are wiring the money out of the country, one of two things must be true: you’re either getting too much money and your benefits must be cut, or you’re part of this conspiracy. Where did that money come from? We’re gonna find out,” Bessent stated unequivocally during an interview on Fox News.
The new directive outlines a clear path to curb this abuse: “From now on, anyone who wires money out from one of these money service businesses has to check a box saying whether they are on public assistance,” Bessent explained.
He then added, with the weight of federal authority behind him: “And if you are on public assistance, we are going to start pushing that you cannot wire money out of the country.”
This is not merely a policy adjustment; it is a declaration of war on fraud. “Treasury will deploy all tools to bring an end to this egregious unchecked fraud and hold perpetrators to account,” Bessent affirmed, reflecting a clear America First mandate to protect taxpayer funds and national security.
However, the Secretary also clarified that this is not a blanket prohibition. Individuals who can legitimately prove the origin of their funds will still be able to send money outside the U.S. This targeted approach ensures that the crackdown focuses squarely on abuse and illicit activities, not legitimate transactions.
“I am here this week to signal the U.S. Treasury’s unwavering commitment to recovering stolen funds, prosecuting fraudulent criminals, preventing scandals like this from ever happening again, and investigating similar schemes state by state,” the Secretary underscored, promising a nationwide effort to restore integrity.
The stakes are high: remittances siphon away a staggering $200 billion from the U.S. economy annually, as money earned in America by both legal and illegal migrants is sent out of the country, according to FAIR. This new measure by Secretary Bessent represents a critical step in staunching that flow, safeguarding American taxpayer dollars, and ensuring our national security is not compromised by those exploiting our generosity.
