The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service has begun to remind immigrants that if they receive any welfare benefits prior to becoming a citizen, their sponsors will be responsible for paying back the government.
“If the sponsored immigrant receives any federal means-tested public benefits, the sponsor will be expected to reimburse the benefits-granting agency for every dollar of benefits received by the immigrant,” the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) wrote on Twitter on June 14.
Immigrants who apply for permanent residency and citizenship in the United States are required to find a sponsor who guarantees to support them financially. The affidavit of support is a legally enforceable contract between the sponsor and the government. The financial obligation usually ends once the immigrant becomes naturalized or after the immigrant completes 10 years of full-time work.
Trump says US, Israel shattered Iranian military capabilities, presses leaders to surrender: ‘Cry uncle’
Armed Officers Rushed Onboard Flight Forced to Land with Guns Drawn After ‘Security Scare’
Flashback: 11 Years Ago Marco Rubio Correctly Predicted How Obama’s Iran Move Would Backfire
Iran still striking Gulf States despite president’s promise not to: Report
Trump tells Starmer aircraft carriers no longer needed in Mideast, accuses him of joining war US ‘already won’
Arizona governor vetoes Charlie Kirk memorial license plate sparking GOP outrage: ‘This bill falls short’
NYC Mayor Mamdani’s wife liked social media post calling Oct 7 sexual violence investigation a ‘hoax’: report
Noem thanks Trump for new Shield of the Americas special envoy role after DHS ouster
Trump and first lady attend dignified transfer for 6 US troops killed in Kuwait
Supreme Court Will Hear Lawsuit Over Blaming Oil Companies for Climate Change
White House’s bombastic Iran war media blitz breaks from precedent, shocking critics
Farage slams British prime minister for ‘extraordinary’ lack of support for Trump’s Iran strikes
‘Smarter Than Most of You!’: Biden Launches Bizarre Defense of His Stuttering at Jesse Jackson Memorial Service
Trump Warns ‘Loser of the Middle East’ Iran That ‘Complete Destruction and Certain Death’ Is Imminent
FBI captures Bangladeshi fugitive extradited in massive online child sextortion case
The USCIS is taking the step in response to a presidential memorandum signed by President Donald Trump in May. The order directs federal agencies to update their regulations to comply with a federal law which prohibits non-citizens from receiving public benefits.
“As part of implementation, we’ll now remind individuals at their adjustment of status interviews of their sponsors’ responsibilities under existing law & regs,” USCIS wrote on Twitter.
Both legal and illegal immigrants use welfare at a far greater rate than native households, according to a study by the Center for Immigration Studies. In 2012, 51 percent of legal and illegal immigrant households used welfare, compared to 30 percent of native households. That year, the federal government spent roughly $500 billion on the programs reviewed by the study.
In fiscal year 2018, USCIS granted citizenship to 757,000 people and approved green cards for 1.1 million people. The number of approvals for green cards reached a five-year high.
Trump says US, Israel shattered Iranian military capabilities, presses leaders to surrender: ‘Cry uncle’
Armed Officers Rushed Onboard Flight Forced to Land with Guns Drawn After ‘Security Scare’
Flashback: 11 Years Ago Marco Rubio Correctly Predicted How Obama’s Iran Move Would Backfire
Iran still striking Gulf States despite president’s promise not to: Report
Trump tells Starmer aircraft carriers no longer needed in Mideast, accuses him of joining war US ‘already won’
Arizona governor vetoes Charlie Kirk memorial license plate sparking GOP outrage: ‘This bill falls short’
NYC Mayor Mamdani’s wife liked social media post calling Oct 7 sexual violence investigation a ‘hoax’: report
Noem thanks Trump for new Shield of the Americas special envoy role after DHS ouster
Trump and first lady attend dignified transfer for 6 US troops killed in Kuwait
Supreme Court Will Hear Lawsuit Over Blaming Oil Companies for Climate Change
White House’s bombastic Iran war media blitz breaks from precedent, shocking critics
Farage slams British prime minister for ‘extraordinary’ lack of support for Trump’s Iran strikes
‘Smarter Than Most of You!’: Biden Launches Bizarre Defense of His Stuttering at Jesse Jackson Memorial Service
Trump Warns ‘Loser of the Middle East’ Iran That ‘Complete Destruction and Certain Death’ Is Imminent
FBI captures Bangladeshi fugitive extradited in massive online child sextortion case
The USCIS move does not affect illegal aliens since they bypassed the legal immigration process and do not have sponsors who signed affidavits. That includes illegal alien parents who receive public benefits via a child who was born in the United States.
On May 23, the White House issued a memo titled “Memorandum on Enforcing the Legal Responsibilities of Sponsors of Aliens.” Among other directives, the memo calls on the federal government to come up with a procedure for filing civil lawsuits in order to receive reimbursement from sponsors who vouched for immigrants who received welfare.
Immigrants are eligible for certain public benefits once they have been in the United States for a certain amount of time. The enforcement of the affidavits of support would apply to these cases.
“A key priority of my Administration is restoring the rule of law by ensuring that existing immigration laws are enforced,” Trump stated in the memo.
“The immigration laws currently require that, when an alien receives certain forms of means-tested public benefits, the government or non-government entity providing the public benefit must request reimbursement from the alien’s financial sponsor.”
Trump says US, Israel shattered Iranian military capabilities, presses leaders to surrender: ‘Cry uncle’
Armed Officers Rushed Onboard Flight Forced to Land with Guns Drawn After ‘Security Scare’
Flashback: 11 Years Ago Marco Rubio Correctly Predicted How Obama’s Iran Move Would Backfire
Iran still striking Gulf States despite president’s promise not to: Report
Trump tells Starmer aircraft carriers no longer needed in Mideast, accuses him of joining war US ‘already won’
Arizona governor vetoes Charlie Kirk memorial license plate sparking GOP outrage: ‘This bill falls short’
NYC Mayor Mamdani’s wife liked social media post calling Oct 7 sexual violence investigation a ‘hoax’: report
Noem thanks Trump for new Shield of the Americas special envoy role after DHS ouster
Trump and first lady attend dignified transfer for 6 US troops killed in Kuwait
Supreme Court Will Hear Lawsuit Over Blaming Oil Companies for Climate Change
White House’s bombastic Iran war media blitz breaks from precedent, shocking critics
Farage slams British prime minister for ‘extraordinary’ lack of support for Trump’s Iran strikes
‘Smarter Than Most of You!’: Biden Launches Bizarre Defense of His Stuttering at Jesse Jackson Memorial Service
Trump Warns ‘Loser of the Middle East’ Iran That ‘Complete Destruction and Certain Death’ Is Imminent
FBI captures Bangladeshi fugitive extradited in massive online child sextortion case
In addition to his work to stem the flow of illegal aliens into the country, Trump is pushing for an overhaul of the legal immigration system to be primarily merit-based. The president wants to end the green card lottery program and limit the scope of family-based migration.
Under the merit system, priority will be given to younger immigrants with high education attainment and technical skills who are qualified for high-wage jobs. Future immigrants also will have to demonstrate financial self-sufficiency, knowledge of the English language, and pass a civics exam.
Story cited here.
