President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday directing government agencies to shut down any taxpayer benefits that flow to illegal immigrants.

He also asked agencies to try to block money that goes to support sanctuary policies.

“My administration will uphold the rule of law, defend against the waste of hard-earned taxpayer resources, and protect benefits for American citizens in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans,” Mr. Trump said in the new order.

Illegal immigrants already face a general bar under federal law from obtaining taxpayer benefits, though there are some exceptions and loopholes.

Illegal immigrants can claim a child tax credit on their tax returns, as long as the children themselves are here legally. And the White House said Medicaid money for emergency care and disaster relief dollars have flowed to illegal immigrants.

The new order directs federal agencies and departments to identify all programs in their purview that provide benefits to illegal immigrants, and to stop that.

The order also prods agencies to improve their eligibility verification to weed out unauthorized migrants.

On sanctuary policies, the order tells agencies to act “consistent with applicable law” to decouple federal payments to states and localities where they money would “facilitate the subsidization or promotion of illegal immigration, or abet so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies that seek to shield illegal aliens from deportation.”

Mr. Trump tried to cut off Justice Department grant money to some sanctuary jurisdictions in his first term. Those efforts met stiff resistance in the courts.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.