The Trump administration is revising a little-known, century-old rule to penalize immigration applicants whose American-citizen relatives receive social assistance, reports say. Washington calls the draft rule a safeguard against the misuse of tax dollars; immigrant rights advocates warn that it could drive United States citizens into abject poverty.
The "public charge" provision of the U.S. immigration law aims to bar immigrants who would become dependent on state resources, unable, financially or mentally, to care for themselves. Currently the provision bars the government from considering non-cash benefits—food or housing assistance, for example—against family-based immigration petitions. The Department of Homeland Security's new draft rule, first reported by Reuters late last week, would make those non-cash benefits count against applications for immigration status. In effect, low-income families with non-citizens applying for legal residency status would have to choose between living with loved ones or much-needed public aid for their citizen relatives.
Civil liberties advocates are concerned not just for immigrants, but for low-income Americans in general. The draft rule emanates from "a nativist position that says we don't want certain people in our country," says Kevin Solis, spokesman for immigrant rights group DREAM Team Los Angeles, "combined with the Republicans trying to undo the social welfare state, it's a twofer. You get all their worst ideologies in one package."
[For more on this story by MASSOUD HAYOUN, go to https://psmag.com/social-justi...sing-social-services]
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