Trump in Iowa: President
calls for barring immigrants from welfare for five years, 6/22/17, Fox New
President Trump announced Wednesday
night that he will soon ask Congress to pass legislation banning immigrants
from accessing public assistance within five years of entering the U.S.
“The time has come for new immigration
rules that say ... those seeking immigration into our country must be able to
support themselves financially and should not use welfare for a period of at
least five years," Trump told a campaign-style rally in Grand Rapids,
Iowa.
Trump's proposal would build on the
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which
allows federal authorities to deport immigrants who become public dependents
within five years of their arrival. Many of that law’s provisions were rolled
back during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, but Trump's
proposal would make more categories of federal benefits off-limits to
immigrants.
Currently, states typically have the
authority to determine eligibility for local public assistance programs.
Foreigners with non-immigrant visas and those
who don't have legal status are generally prohibited from those benefits
altogether.
Trump's proposal would also prevent the
admission of people who are likely to become so-called "public
charges" within five years of their arrival. The concept of "public
charge" has been part of U.S. immigration law for over a century. It
allows the government to bar entry to individuals who are likely to seek public
assistance. Trump is expected to propose toughening up the rules regarding
“public charge” and ensuring that they are enforced.
The administration circulated a draft
executive order to make Trump's proposed changes earlier this year. However,
Trump's remarks Wednesday indicated that he wants Congress to codify his plan
into law.
In requesting these changes, the White House
will cite a 2015 report from the Center for Immigration Studies that
found 51 percent of households headed by an immigrant are using some form of
public assistance, compared to 30 percent among non-immigrant families. That
report has been disputed by critics who say it does not take into account the
nuances of many immigrant families.
Fox News' John
Roberts and the Associated Press contributed to this report
Comments
Non-citizen
immigrants cost US taxpayers $384 billion a year in federal, State and local
services and subsidies. It serves as a magnet for welfare immigrants. This is
unsustainable.
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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