The Obama Administration announced earlier this week that they would set aside $9 million to help provide legal assistance to thousands of unaccompanied alien children who illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border earlier this year. Approximately 2,600 illegal aliens will receive legal representation under the grants issued to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants by Health and Human Services.

Federal law prohibits the government from providing legal assistance to illegal aliens.

"The Obama administration has again ignored our federal immigration laws, which prohibit federal funding of legal representation to illegal immigrants before Immigration Courts," Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said. "Enforcing the law is not optional. If the president worked as hard to enforce our immigration laws as he does to consistently undermine them, he would not need to use millions in tax dollars from hard-working Americans to address the surge of illegal immigrants into Texas."

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) joined Rep. Smith in opposition.

"To end the surge at the border, the Obama administration should instead focus its efforts on deterring future border crossers and enforcing the laws against illegal entry into the United States," said Rep. Goodlatte. "Without such actions, the flood of people attempting to cross the border illegally will only continue."

In the wake of the news, Rasmussen surveyed U.S. likely voters and found that 71% of voters oppose providing government services and benefits to illegal aliens. 63% of respondents believe that providing services and benefits to illegal aliens will encourage more illegal immigration in the future. A majority of Democrats (51%), Republicans (91%), and Independents (75%) all agreed that the government should not provide services and benefits to illegal aliens.

For more information, see the Washington Times and Rasmussen Reports.