The Trump administration announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into California’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, a state program that provides monthly cash benefits to aged, blind, and disabled non-citizens who are ineligible for Social Security benefits due to their immigration status.

The investigation began in Los Angeles, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles field office issuing a Title 8 subpoena to California’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, the Department of Homeland Security said in a news release.

According to the department, the subpoena requests all records from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, the agency that administers the state program, to determine if ineligible immigrants received supplemental security income from the Social Security Administration over the last four years.

“Radical left politicians in California prioritize illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens access to cash benefits,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.

“The Trump Administration is working together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally,” Noem added. “If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over. While this subpoena focuses only on Los Angeles County — it is just the beginning.”

According to Homeland Security, its Los Angeles investigations field office is subpoenaing records including applicants’ name and date of birth, copies of applications, immigration status, proof of ineligibility for benefits from the Social Security Administration and affidavits that supported the application.

The investigation comes after President Trump signed a presidential memorandum on April 15 to stop immigrants lacking documentation from obtaining Social Security Act benefits in what he called a bid to stop incentivizing illegal immigration and protect taxpayer dollars.

The memorandum directed the secretary of Homeland Security to ensure unauthorized immigrants do not receive funds from Social Security programs and prioritized civil or criminal enforcement against states or localities for potential violations of Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.

It also expanded the Social Security Administration’s fraud prosecutor program to at least 50 U.S. attorney ofices and established a Medicare and Medicaid fraud-prosecution program in 15 U.S. attorney offices.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Mr. Luers doubled the museum’s endowment, modernized its financial systems, enlarged its staff to 1,800 full-time employees, secured the $1 billion Walter Annenberg collection of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings for the museum, and oversaw the construction of new galleries, wings, exhibitions and public programs. When he stepped down, the museum had a $116 million budget, and crowds that often exceeded 50,000 visitors on weekends.

In 1990, Mr. Luers arranged for Mr. Havel, who was conferring with President George W. Bush on a state visit to the White House, to make a side trip to New York to visit the museum. It was a touching reunion for Mr. Luers, who returned many times to the Czech Republic for meetings with old friends and Mr. Havel, who died in 2011.

After the Met, Mr. Luers was chairman and president of the United Nations Association of the U.S.A., which provides research and other services for the U.N. For many years, he also directed the Iran Project, a nongovernmental organization that supported United States negotiations with Iran.

Mr. Luers, who had homes in Manhattan and Washington Depot, wrote scores of articles for foreign policy journals and newspapers, including The Times. He lectured widely and taught at Princeton, George Washington, Columbia and Seton Hall Universities, and at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Last fall, he released a memoir, “Uncommon Company: Dissidents and Diplomats, Enemies and Artists.”

“My greatest satisfaction was the success of Vaclav Havel,” he said in the 2022 interview. “Havel proved my point that culture makes a difference, especially in international relations. The Communist system was deeply flawed. It underestimated cultural leaders’ influence on the people.”

Alex Traub contributed reporting.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said a Worcester, Massachusetts city council member “incited chaos” when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested a violent criminal illegal alien on Thursday.

“District Councilor for the City of Worcester [Etel] Haxhiaj pulled a political stunt and incited chaos by trying to obstruct law enforcement. ICE officers and local police regained control of the situation and ICE arrested Ferreira de Oliveira,” DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “The previous administration’s open border policies allowed this criminal to illegally enter our country in August of 2022. Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem this criminal is off our streets.”

DHS went on to describe Oliveira as a “violent criminal alien.” The agency said she was arrested by local police for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a pregnant woman.

Tense video emerged over the weekend of Oliveira’s arrest. A rowdy crowd of about 25 people gathered and disrupted the operation. Police called it a “chaotic incident.”

CHAOTIC VIDEO SHOWS MASSACHUSETTS ICE ARREST BEING DISRUPTED BY ‘UNRULY’ CROWD, LEADING TO 2 ARRESTS

The video showed a group of residents chanting “don’t take the mother” and “no warrant” after a woman was led into an SUV by uniformed ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. Before the vehicle pulled away, other women are seen placing their hands on the front hood of an SUV and screaming in protest.

The Worcester Police Patrol Officers’ Union said in a press release that the incident happened at about 11:15 a.m. on Thursday and that police were dispatched for a call from federal law enforcement officers who needed assistance due to a hostile and uncooperative crowd.

“Officers arriving on scene continued to call for more officers as the scene continued to escalate rapidly,” the union said. “Police officers respond to a variety of highly emotional calls daily and there is nothing that can be more emotional or difficult to deal with than a call that involves times when families are separated or arrested or taken into custody in front of other family members. These types of calls for assistance can be extremely dangerous and place officers at a high risk of injury due to the high emotions people feel at the time.”

DHS DEFENDS ICE DETAINMENT OF GEORGIA COLLEGE STUDENT WHO VIOLATED TRAFFIC LAWS 

All available police officers from Worcester were dispatched to the scene, the union continued, and “for obvious reasons” the officers became concerned for their safety.

Federal and local authorities were “threatened, abused and even assaulted” at the scene, the union said.

“Such conduct cannot be tolerated or condoned. Because some protesters threatened officers’ safety, police had to make additional arrests,” the union said. “Of particular concern in this case, one of our elected policy makers and someone who has created this difficult task for the police, District 5 City Councilor, Etel Haxhiaj, incited aggression towards the police during the incident.

“This councilor participated in the conduct of the unruly crowd and eventually assaulted both Worcester police and federal law enforcement officers on scene. Her behavior also emboldened others to act in this manner,” the union added. “The conduct of this anti-police activist councilor is deplorable and unacceptable. Regardless of political opinions or views, city officials should never condone the assault of an officer and flat-out disregard to the point of violent opposition, the authority of police to maintain safety and public order.”

FOX NEWS RIDES ALONG AS FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL BEGINS ENFORCING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS ON STATE ROADS 

Worcester City Council member Etel Haxhiaj allegedly caused a chaotic scene when ICE agents arrested a violent criminal illegal alien on Thursday. (Worcester City Council Website)

As a result, the union said it is calling for an ethics investigation into Haxhiaj’s behavior, adding it will hold her and others who assaulted their officers accountable.

“No one has the right to act in such a reckless manner towards police officers, and we demand accountability for all criminal and ethically deplorable behavior,” the union said.

Haxhiaj did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.

MASSACHUSETTS JUDGE CHARGES ICE AGENT WITH CONTEMPT OF COURT

A crowd of people is seen gathering around the SUV in Worcester, Mass. (@iwontstealthemooniswear_ via Storyful)

The Worcester Police Department said that during the chaotic events on Thursday, 38-year-old Ashley Spring of Worcester was also arrested after she “pushed multiple officers” and “threw an unknown liquid substance on them.”

Spring was charged with Assault and Battery on a Police Officer, Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon (unknown liquid), Disorderly Conduct, and Interfering with a Police Officer. 

The Worcester Police Department said the “chaotic incident is still under investigation” and further charges may be forthcoming. 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.