Trump takes heat from Democrats and the media for acting upon it.
Editorial Comment: When Clinton Signed this law in 1996, everyone was happy as clams, but apparently it was never enforced. Now Trump is enforcing the law the Democrats, and the media condemning it!
************Related press releases & News Stories******************
President Donald J. Trump is Ensuring Non-Citizens Do Not Abuse Our Nation’s Public Benefit.
White House fact sheet posted 8/ 12/ 19
PROTECTING PUBLIC RESOURCES: The Trump Administration is taking action to help ensure that non-citizens in this country are self-sufficient and not a strain on public resources.
The Trump Administration is releasing a final rule that will protect American taxpayers, preserve our social safety net for vulnerable Americans, and uphold the rule of law.
This action will help ensure that if aliens want to enter or remain in the United States they must support themselves, and not rely on public benefits.
An alien who receives public benefits above a certain threshold is known as a “public charge.”
Aliens will be barred from entering the United States if they are found likely to become public charges.
Aliens in the United States who are found likely to become public charges will also be barred from adjusting their immigration status.
President Trump is enforcing this longstanding law to prevent aliens from depending on public benefit programs.
The Immigration and Nationality Act makes clear that those seeking to come to the United States cannot be a public charge.
For many years, this clear legal requirement went largely unenforced, imposing vast burdens on American taxpayers. Now, public charge law will finally be utilized.
ENCOURAGING SELF-SUFFICIENCY: Self-sufficiency has long been a basic principle of our Nation’s immigration laws that has enjoyed widespread support.
Public charge has been a part of United States immigration law for more than 100 years as a ground of inadmissibility.
Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed two bipartisan bills in 1996 to help stop aliens from exploiting public benefits.
This included the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.
As Congress made clear at the time, it is our national policy that aliens should “not depend on public resources to meet their needs.”
Americans widely agree that individuals coming to our country should be self-sufficient, with 73 percent in favor of requiring immigrants to be able to support themselves financially.
PRESERVING THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET: We must ensure that non-citizens do not abuse our public benefit programs and jeopardize the social safety net needed by vulnerable Americans.
Large numbers of non-citizens and their families have taken advantage of our generous public benefits, limited resources that could otherwise go to vulnerable Americans.
78 percent of households headed by a non-citizen with no more than a high school education use at least one welfare program.
58 percent of all households headed by a non-citizen use at least one welfare program.
Half of all non-citizen headed households include at least one person who uses Medicaid.
Related press release from the USCIS:
USCIS Announces Final Rule Enforcing Long-Standing Public Charge Inadmissibility Law
Press release issued 8/ 12/ 19
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule that clearly defines long-standing law to better ensure that aliens seeking to enter and remain in the United States — either temporarily or permanently — are self-sufficient and rely on their own capabilities and the resources of family members, sponsors, and private organizations rather than on public resources.
This final rule amends DHS regulations by prescribing how DHS will determine whether an alien is inadmissible to the United States based on his or her likelihood of becoming a public charge at any time in the future, as set forth in the Immigration and Nationality Act. The final rule addresses U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) authority to permit an alien to submit a public charge bond in the context of adjustment of status applications. The rule also makes nonimmigrant aliens who have received certain public benefits above a specific threshold generally ineligible for extension of stay and change of status.
“For over a century, the public charge ground of inadmissibility has been part of our nation’s immigration laws. President Trump has delivered on his promise to the American people to enforce long-standing immigration law by defining the public charge inadmissibility ground that has been on the books for years,” said USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli. “Throughout our history, self-sufficiency has been a core tenet of the American dream. Self-reliance, industriousness, and perseverance laid the foundation of our nation and have defined generations of hardworking immigrants seeking opportunity in the United States ever since. Through the enforcement of the public charge inadmissibility law, we will promote these long-standing ideals and immigrant success.”
DHS has revised the definition of “public charge” to incorporate consideration of more kinds of public benefits received, which the Department believes will better ensure that applicants subject to the public charge inadmissibility ground are self-sufficient. The rule defines the term “public charge” to mean an individual who receives one or more designated public benefits for more than 12 months, in the aggregate, within any 36-month period (such that, for instance, receipt of two benefits in one month counts as two months). The rule further defines the term “public benefit” to include any cash benefits for income maintenance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), most forms of Medicaid, and certain housing programs.
The regulation also excludes from the public benefits definition: public benefits received by individuals who are serving in active duty or in the Ready Reserve component of the U.S. armed forces, and their spouses and children; public benefits received by certain international adoptees and children acquiring U.S. citizenship; Medicaid for aliens under 21 and pregnant women; Medicaid for school-based services (including services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act); and Medicaid benefits for emergency medical services.
This rule also makes certain nonimmigrant aliens in the United States who have received designated public benefits above the designated threshold ineligible for change of status and extension of stay if they received the benefits after obtaining the nonimmigrant status they seek to extend or from which they seek to change.
Importantly, this regulation does not apply to humanitarian-based immigration programs for refugees, asylees, Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJs), certain trafficking victims (T nonimmigrants), victims of qualifying criminal activity (U nonimmigrants), or victims of domestic violence (VAWA self-petitioners), among others.
This rule also explains how USCIS will exercise its discretionary authority, in limited circumstances, to offer an alien inadmissible only on the public charge ground the opportunity to post a public charge bond. The final rule sets the minimum bond amount at $8,100; the actual bond amount will be dependent on the individual’s circumstances.
This final rule supersedes the 1999 Interim Field Guidance on Deportability and Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds and goes into effect at midnight Eastern, Oct. 15, 60 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register. USCIS will apply the public charge inadmissibility final rule only to applications and petitions postmarked (or, if applicable, submitted electronically) on or after the effective date. Applications and petitions already pending with USCIS on the effective date of the rule (postmarked and accepted by USCIS) will be adjudicated based on the 1999 Interim Guidance.
USCIS will provide information and additional details to the public as part of public outreach related to the implementation of this rule. In the coming weeks, USCIS will conduct engagement sessions for the public and other interested groups to ensure the public understands which benefits are included in the public charge inadmissibility rule and which are not.
Related news stories:
Trump Ending Welfare-Dependent Immigration, Saving Taxpayers Billions---Breit Bart
NYT: Trump Rule Targets Legal Immigrants Who Rely on Food Stamps and Other Aid
A new rule is part of a sweeping policy aimed to narrow the demographic of people who come to live and work in the United States.
New rule could deny citizenship, green cards for immigrants who need public assistance
A new policy from the Trump administration would affect legal immigrants who use public benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps or housing assistance.---WP Post
Trump Administration to Crack Down on Visa Applicants Who Would Rely on Public Services---National Review
Trump Admin Rule Could Disqualify Poor Visa Applicants---News Max
Washington Times: Trump administration approves policy to deter immigrants' use of welfare.
Seattle PI: New Trump rules would further restrict legal immigration.
******************************
WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
*******************************
‘We are facing a learning crisis’, UN chief warns on International Youth Day
Schools are “not equipping young people with the skills they need to navigate the technological revolution”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned, in a message released to mark the UN’s International Youth Day.---UN NEWS CENTER
Three UN workers killed following Benghazi car bomb attack, as Security Council meets in emergency session, honours their ‘ultimate sacrifice’
Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned a car bomb attack in front of a shopping mall in the Libyan city of Benghazi, which left three UN workers dead, and three others injured, with dozens of civilians also wounded. ----UN NEWS CENTER
‘Preserve, revitalize and promote’ indigenous languages, or lose a ‘wealth of traditional knowledge’, UN chief says
Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the urgency to “preserve, revitalize and promote indigenous languages” in his message for the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, celebrated on Friday.----UN NEWS CENTER
More than half a million Rohingya in Bangladesh get ID cards for first time: UN refugee agency.
More than 500,000 Rohingya refugees who fled a brutal crackdown in Myanmar two years ago, have received identification cards that the UN insisted on Friday were critical to safeguarding their right to return home.---UN NEWS CENTER
During Emergency Meeting, Security Council Condemns Car Bombing in Libya, Urging Parties to Uphold Truce as First Step Towards Permanent Ceasefire
Government of National Accord Ready to Work with International Community in Ending Terrorism, Representative Says---UN Press release
PAGE 2
PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNED INTO LAW THE PERSONAL
WORK AND OPPORTUNITY LAW IN 96'.
PAGE 3
INSLEE ATTACKS THE VERY LAW CLINTON SIGNED IN 96'
PAGE 4
WASHINGTON CO-LEADS MULTISTATE LAWSUIT AGAINST DHS RULE TARGETING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES LEGALLY IN THE U.S.
PAGE 5
No Need to Watch Grass Grow Anymore!
PAGE 6
DURING SPEECH BARR DECLARES: " Let me assure you that this case will continue on against anyone who was complicit with Epstein. Any co-conspirators should not rest easy. The victims deserve justice, and we will ensure they get it."
PAGE 7
Initial Site Survey Work on Port Angeles Dock, Shoreline to Begin Late August
PAGE 8
AFTER WEEK'S OF PROTEST IN HONG KONG...
( Don't bring me down...ELO)
