Immigrants On Welfare, Food Stamps To Be Denied Green Cards

If the Trump administration would have its way, it would deny green cards to immigrants on welfare, food stamps, housing vouchers and other forms of public assistance.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Trump administration proposal would deny green cards to immigrants on welfare, food stamps <a href="https://t.co/xf0OY6V3Nf">https://t.co/xf0OY6V3Nf</a> <a href="https://t.co/iZjzf62Bfb">pic.twitter.com/iZjzf62Bfb</a></p>&mdash; KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) <a href="https://twitter.com/KHOU/status/1044051518855532544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Potentially disqualifying benefits may include Medicare Part D prescription drugs, Medicaid with some exceptions for emergency services and disability services related to education, food stamps and Section 8 housing vouchers.

As is it, federal law already requires those applying for green cards to prove that they will not be a burden or “public charge.” Under the proposed new rules of the Trump administration, there would be a broad range of programs that could disqualify such immigrants from acquiring the coveted green cards.

The Department of Homeland Security announced on Saturday that those who currently receive, as well as those who previously received certain public benefits above thresholds would be considered "a heavily weighed negative factor" in their application for green cards as well as temporary stays.

The department stressed the rationale for the proposal: “for it to clearly define long-standing law to ensure that those seeking to enter and remain in the United States either temporarily or permanently can support themselves financially and will not be reliant on public benefits.”

The proposal, consisting all of 447 pages, is published on the department’s website. It will also appear in the Federal Register “in the coming weeks”’ boosting a 60-day public comment before it takes effect.

Political observers are saying that with less than seven weeks before midterm elections, the said announcement could help “galvanize voters” who have either backed or opposed Trump’s broad and tough crackdown on legal and illegal immigration.

Immigrant advocacy groups were quick to give their strong reactions to the proposal. They express fear that people may avoid or even deliberately withdraw from public aid programs even at the risk of losing shelter and suffering deteriorating health out of worries they will be denied visas.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, also described the proposal as "an inhumane attack on the health and well-being of so many families and communities across the country."

Social media users were quick to react as well- with many agreeing to the proposal, others are critical, with some even taking more extreme view of the matter.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That is great news give to Americans first.</p>&mdash; Detreck Morrell (@DetreckM) <a href="https://twitter.com/DetreckM/status/1044052181425508354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Excellent!</p>&mdash; mkl (@cochon89) <a href="https://twitter.com/cochon89/status/1044054854531002368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Womp-Womp.</p>&mdash; Mateo (@stros_fan) <a href="https://twitter.com/stros_fan/status/1044052361608654848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Merit based. Agree.</p>&mdash; SRH (@SteveOnBeach) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveOnBeach/status/1044052066858151937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Are rich people the only immigrants that <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> would allow into USA ?</p>&mdash; Mark Dershowitz (@MarkDershowitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkDershowitz/status/1044067977019232257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">They should not be on welfare or food stamps. They are not entitled to them.</p>&mdash; William Duffield (@WilliamDuffiel5) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamDuffiel5/status/1044062043605790720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Source:

https://www.khou.com/article/news/nation-world/trump-administration-proposal-would-deny-green-cards-to-immigrants-on-welfare-food-stamps/507-597277203