Trump Seeks to Ban Immigrants From Recieving Public Assistance For Five Years

This Wednesday night, President Trump announced that he will ask Congress to pass legislation that will ban immigrants from having access to public assistance within five years of entering the United States.

During his rally in Iowa, Trump stated that, “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.”

His proposal would build upon the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1966. The Act allows the federal authorities to deport immigrants who become public dependents in a five year time frame after their arrival. However, during the George W. Bush administration, several of the law’s provisions were pushed back and the trend continued during the Obama administration as well. Trump’s new proposal would prevent immigrants from receiving several federal benefits in the future.

Today, states generally have the authority to determine who is eligible for local assistance programs. Foreigners who hold non-immigrant visas, as well as those who do not have legal status are prohibited from these benefits all together.

The new proposal would also disallow the admission of those people who are likely to become “public charges” in the years shortly after their arrival. The term “public charge” has been part of U.S. immigration language for over a century. It will allow the government to prevent individuals that are likely to seek assistance in the future from entering the country. Trump is expected to toughen up on these rules regarding “public charge”.

The President’s administration has drafted an executive order with these proposed changes. Trump’s comments earlier this week leave many to believe that he would like Congress to put these changes to action.

The White House will request these changes citing a 2015 report from the Center of Immigration Studies, which have found that 51 percent of households headed by immigration are receiving some type of public assistance, in comparison with 30 percent of non-immigrant households.