New GOP Plan to Punish Immigrants Who Use Welfare

The GOP plan to boost their chances to sweep midterm elections focuses on a new immigration rule that would punish immigrants who use welfare. This is just one part of a full-fledged plan to put immigration policy reform at the forefront of their campaign issues.

Though there is no name for the rule as of yet, it first appeared last year in the White House Office of Management and Budget’s published notice that it was under consideration [1].

“As drafted, the rule would authorize federal officials to revoke legal resident status from legal immigrants who accept government assistance currently available to them” [2].

Government aid includes Obamacare, food stamp, or children’s health insurance through CHIP, could be denied citizenship, though that is not guaranteed [3].

This will be one of the first hard steps against legal immigrants that the Trump administration has taken since the travel ban in early 2017, and it could affect millions of would-be legal U.S. immigrants.

The Center for Immigration Study suggested that in 2012, 51% of households headed by immigrants (both legal and illegal) reported they were on some form of government assistance, that included immigrants who use welfare [4].

Though these policies should not have a drastic increase in immigrants illegally remaining in the U.S. and later needing an immigration bond, it may increase the number of long term green card holders, unable to vote but benefiting from other U.S. rights afforded to them.

Sources:

[1]: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs – Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds Rule.

[2]: NY Times – Plan to Punish Immigrants for Using Welfare Could Boost G.O.P. Candidates.

[3]: Bustle – This Trump Administration Immigration Rule Proposal Reportedly Would Hit Low-Income Workers Hard.

[4]: CIS – Welfare Use by Immigrant and Native Households.