The Department of Homeland Security announced a proposed rule on Friday that would penalize immigrants seeking permanent status who use public benefit programs such as food assistance and housing vouchers. Under the new policy, those who seek financial help could risk losing their chance at a green card.
Already, the federal government can deny permanent resident status or admission to the United States to immigrants deemed a "public charge"—dependent on cash benefits such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. This new rule would expand that definition to include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Section 8 housing vouchers, and other programs that millions of low-income immigrants rely on, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
In its announcement, DHS billed this expansion as a protective measure, intended to weed out those who cannot support themselves. "This proposed rule will implement a law passed by Congress intended to promote immigrant self-sufficiency and protect finite resources by ensuring that [those seeking to immigrate] are not likely to become burdens on American taxpayers," DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement.
[For more on this story by EMILY MOON, go to https://psmag.com/news/researc...rain-on-us-resources]
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