Reason #6666 That Trump Was Elected

Trump administration seeks to limit access to U.S. for immigrants who use or are likely to use public assistance . . .

The Trump administration will make it much more difficult for immigrants to come to the United States or remain in the country if they use or are likely to use housing vouchers, food subsidies and other “non-cash” forms of public assistance, under a new proposal announced Saturday by the Department of Homeland Security.

U.S. immigration laws have long contained provisions limiting foreigners who are likely to be dependent on financial aid and therefore a “public charge.” But the proposed changes amount to a broad expansion of the government’s ability to deny visas or residency to immigrants if they or members of their household benefit from subsidies like Medicaid programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Section 8 housing vouchers.

“Under long-standing federal law, those seeking to immigrate to the United States must show they can support themselves financially,” DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement, adding that the proposed changes would “promote immigrant self-sufficiency and protect finite resources by ensuring that they are not likely to become burdens on American taxpayers.”

The proposal will publish in the Federal Register in the coming weeks, according to DHS, triggering a 60-day public comment period. “After DHS carefully considers public comments received on the proposed rule, DHS plans to issue a final public charge rule that will include an effective date,” the agency said. DHS officials say they are anticipating court challenges to any change.

and the Washington Post is upset:

While the proposal does not include tax credits and other health benefits that were under consideration in previous drafts, immigrant advocates have raised concerns that the rule change will force families to forgo help to avoid jeopardizing their immigration status.

“This would force families — including citizen children — to choose between getting the help they need and remaining in their communities,” said Diane Yentel, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “The last thing the federal government should do is punish families that have fallen on hard times for feeding their children or keeping a roof over their heads and avoiding homelessness.”

Advocacy groups see the measure as one more attempt by the Trump administration to limit legal immigration and reduce the number of foreigners living in the United States. Census data show the foreign-born percentage of the U.S. population is at its highest level in more than a century, according to leading demographers.

Even more, if you accept the Yale study I reported yesterday, that numbers of illegal aliens are about twice as many as the commonly accepted number of 11-12 million.

The changes, if adopted, would potentially affect those applying for immigration visas or those with temporary residency seeking to remain in the country. It would have little or no bearing on immigrants who entered the country illegally, but it could weigh on the cases of the more than 600,000 with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival benefits if they file for permanent residency.

According to previous draft versions of the proposal, citing U.S. government data, the foreign born population uses public benefits at virtually the same rate as native-born Americans.

Well, they are citizens, and the programs were designed to help US citizens and not foreign citizens.

Out of the 41.5 million immigrants living in the United States, 3.7 percent received cash benefits in 2013, and 22.7 percent accepted noncash benefits including Medicaid, housing subsidies or home heating assistance, according to statistics compiled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

But, just because Medicaid and housing and heating subsidies are "noncash", it doesn't mean they don't cost us anything.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.