Trump Administration Proposes Denying Green Cards If You Use Government Aid

The United States is planning to tighten rules for immigrants seeking permanent residency in America. The Donald Trump administration's proposed change targets the "public charge" rule, which has been in place since December 2022.

Officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have drafted a proposal that could block green cards to immigrants likely to rely on government support.

The proposed rule, called "Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility," will be published today, November 19. After it's published, the public can share their opinions or feedback about it over the next 30 days.

What is the new rule?

Under the proposed rule, immigration officials would have more power to decide whether an applicant was likely to depend on government assistance, such as food stamps, Medicaid, or housing support, according to Newsweek.

If officials discover that an immigrant may become dependent on these programs, their green card application could be denied.

Matthew J Tragesser, a spokesperson for US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said, "DHS proposes to rescind the 2022 public charge ground of inadmissibility regulations. Through this proposed rule, DHS intends to restore broader discretion to allow officers to evaluate all pertinent facts and align with long-standing policy that aliens in the United States should be self-reliant."

How will green card eligibility be decided?

Immigration officers look at various factors such as age, health, family situation, money, skills, education, and whether the person used certain government benefits. They may sometimes even check Form I-864 Affidavit of Support when approving a green card.

The proposed change would broaden these rules, as more people could be found ineligible for a green card. Officers would have more freedom to consider the "totality of the circumstances," including things like family health history, financial background, and any signs of relying on government support.

Biden-era rule repealed

The DHS plans to cancel this rule, which was introduced during the Biden administration. It protected immigrants from being penalised for using certain government benefits. This could affect green card applicants and even those who already have it.

Groups that support immigrants, like the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition and Community Catalyst, warn that this could make millions of people hesitant about using benefits like health care, food assistance, or other support, for fear it might hurt their chances of getting or keeping a green card.

The Trump administration, however, says the goal of this rule is to ensure that government benefits do not encourage people to immigrate to the US.

Trump tightens green card rules for travel-ban nations

The Trump administration is also reportedly planning to curb green card access to citizens of those countries hit by the President's travel ban, according to the NY Times.

At present, the travel ban prevents people from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, The Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, from entering the US.