US Restores Rule That Could Deny Green Cards Over Public Benefits

The United States will revive a rule that could deny permanent residency to immigrants who use public benefits such as food stamps and Medicaid, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Thursday.

The policy, which takes effect on September 18, is part of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. The administration says people seeking green cards should not become “public charges” who are primarily dependent on government support.

First introduced during Trump’s first term in 2019, the rule broadened the definition of a public charge to include immigrants who received government benefits for more than 12 months within any three-year period.

The Biden administration scrapped the policy in 2022, narrowing the circumstances under which immigrants could be denied permanent residency.

In a post on X, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services said the revived rule underlined the intent “that aliens in the ⁠United States be self-reliant and not dependent on taxpayer-funded government benefits.”

The original rule drew strong criticism from immigrant advocacy groups, which argued it disproportionately affected low-income immigrants and prevented many from obtaining green cards.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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