Thread: TRUMP PROPOSAL WOULD PENALIZE IMMIGRANTS WHO USE TAX CREDITS & OTHER BENEFITS

Trump proposal would penalize immigrants who usetax credits and other benefits

Immigrants who accept almost any form of welfare or public benefit, even popular tax deductions, could be denied legal U.S. residency under a proposal awaiting approval by the Trump administration, which is seeking to reduce the number of foreigners living in the United States.

According to a draft of the proposal obtained by The Washington Post, immigration case workers would be required to consider a much broader range of factors when determining whether immigrants or their U.S.-citizen children are using public benefits or may be likely to do so.

Current rules penalize immigrants who receive cash welfare payments, considering them a “public charge.” But the proposed changes from the Department of Homeland Security would widen the government’s definition of benefits to include the widely used Earned Income Tax Credit as well as health insurance subsidies and other “non-cash public benefits.”

The changes would apply to those seeking immigration visas, or legal permanent residency, such as a foreigner with an expiring work visa. While it would make little difference to those living illegally in the shadows, it could affect immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program — whose termination has been blocked by federal courts — if they attempt to file for full legal residency.

Immigrants and their families facing a short-term crisis could potentially have to forgo help to avoid jeopardizing their U.S. residency status. The proposal would also require more immigrants to post cash bonds if they have a higher probability of needing or accepting public benefits. The minimum bond amount would be $10,000, according to the DHS proposal, but the amount could be set higher if an applicant is deemed at greater risk of neediness.

DHS officials say the proposal is not finalized. But the overhaul is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to curb legal immigration to the United States, and groups favoring a more restrictive approach have long insisted that immigrants are a drag on federal budgets and a siphon on American prosperity.

“The administration is committed to enforcing existing immigration law, which is clearly intended to protect the American taxpayer by ensuring that foreign nationals seeking to enter or remain in the U.S. are self-sufficient,” DHS spokeswoman Katie Waldman said in a statement.

“Any proposed changes would ensure that the government takes the responsibility of being good stewards of taxpayer funds seriously and adjudicates immigration benefit requests in accordance with the law,” she added.

DHS officials say the agency is preparing to publish the proposed rule changes in the Federal Register and invite public comment, but they have not set a date.

Reuters reported on the proposed changes in early February, and Vox has published excerpts of a draft. But a more recent, 223-page version obtained by The Post shows the proposal is more extensive than previously reported.

“It’s striking that after strong public criticism of a leaked draft rule, the administration seems to be considering a version that goes even further, and they’re actively considering whether to use this rule to create new grounds for deporting legal immigrants,” said MarkGreenberg, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, which has beencritical of Trump policies. One notable aspect of the proposal indicates that native-born Americans use public benefits at roughly the same rate as the foreign-born population.

Out of the 41.5 million immigrants living in the United States, 3.7 percent received cash benefits in 2013, and 22.7 percent accepted non cash benefits including Medicaid, housing subsidies or home heating assistance, according to statistics compiled by U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Those figures were nearly identical to the percentage of native-born Americans who get the same forms of assistance. Of the 270 million non immigrants, 3.4 percent received cash welfare that year, USCIS research found, and 22.1 percent received non cash benefits.

U.S. authorities have long had the ability to deny residency and other benefits to noncitizens who are dependent on public assistance. Concerns about such dependency were partly the basis for the family-based immigration model in place for the past half-century, requiring sponsors to assume financial responsibility for relatives they wish to bring into the country. Trump blames that model for facilitating what he calls “horrible chain migration.”

One of the most radical changes outlined in the proposal would consider refundable tax income credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit created to help working families with low and moderate incomes. According to recent estimates, it is used by nearly one-fifth of American taxpayers, particularly those who work in relatively low-paid service industries.

Under the proposed changes, immigration caseworkers would not consider benefits derived from service in the armed forces or some other government job, as well as disability,workers’ compensation and Medicare, unless the premiums are fully paid by the public. It would also exclude elementary and secondary public education and early childhood development programs offered under the Head Start Act.

But children would be considered a negative factor for caseworkers evaluating whether an immigrant is likely to use some form of public assistance or benefit.

“An applicant’s family status is a factor that must be considered when an immigration officer is making a public charge determination,” the proposal states. “DHS will consider whether the alien being a dependent or having dependents . . . makes it more or less likely that the alien will become a public charge.”

The proposal notes that “the receipt of non cash benefits tended to increase as family size increased in 2013.”

Jonathan Withington, a USCIS spokesman, said the proposed changes will be published during the 2018 calendar year, but he said he was unable to discuss the contents and that no final decision has been made.

“While DHS reviews the proposed change, any draft documents circulating internally are considered pre-decisional and have not been approved for submission to the Office of Management and Budget,” Withington said.

A person with knowledge of the deliberations said the draft proposal is essentially complete and awaiting final approval by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

The proposed rule appears to have generated consternation among some USCIS employees. At a recent town-hall-style staff meeting, USCISDirector L. Francis Cissna was challenged by one employee, according to a recording of the encounter shared with The Post.

“On a personal level, I think I can say with confidence that my destitute and illiterate great-grandparents would not have been welcomed in this country under something like the very ill-conceived public charge rule that is currently in the process of development,” the staffer said. He told Cissna that such changes were hurting employee morale.

“Given that neither the headquarters nor the policy environment seem likely to change in the next three years, what will you do to maintain and retain, I should say, a motivated and engaged headquarters workforce?” he asked Cissna.

“Administrations change. Policies change,” Cissna replied, according to the recording. “I’ve had to implement all sorts of things. . . that I didn’t like. But we do our job.”

“I think that we all have to remember we are civil servants and we all serve the president,” Cissna told his staff. “We’re going to follow his directives.”


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-proposal-would-penalize-immigrants-who-use-tax-credits-and-other-benefits/2018/03/28/4c6392e0-2924-11e8-bc72-077aa4dab9ef_story.html?utm_term=.59265ca56ea3

Excellent!! I don't know why the article says it wouldn't impact illegal aliens, but only legal immigrants, I guess this was their WaPo Spin. Illegal aliens aren't supposed to be on these programs or take advantage of these tax credits to begin with, so I guess Dumb WaPo assumes they aren't using them, when we know they are in fact burning our house down with illegal debt, debt borrowed to fund illegal people who aren't even supposed to be in our country let alone sucking on welfare.

A person with knowledge of the deliberations said the draft proposal is essentially complete and awaiting final approval by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

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Approve this proposal ASAP and get it in-force immediately!!!

Now DHS needs to TERMINATE TPS once and for all. They NEVER leave. They are ungrateful for our generous help, then bite the hand that feeds them. No more TPS and no more refugees!

We want ALL TPS deported and we want a quota of 5,000 per week removed from our soil. Get THEM off the freebies too! And yes, they continue to breed more children THEY cannot afford to get a BIGGER paycheck off the BACKS of US taxpayers. Now get these breeding FREELOADERS out of here!

This would cut MILLIONS off of our strained social service programs that are INTENDED for US citizens.

Deporting them will also get them OUT of our schools. They cost a fortune, they contribute NOTHING! Alleviate our overcrowded schools, save costs, give teachers raises and update our schools for the Security measures they need.

WE ARE NOT THE DUMPING GROUND FOR THE WORLD

WE ARE NOT THE ATM MACHINE FOR THE WORLD

YOU ARE NOT WELCOME ANY MORE...GO HOME AND SOLVE YOUR OWN PROBLEMS!

PUBLIC CHARGE

For purposes of determining inadmissibility, “public charge” means an individual who is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, as demonstrated by either the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance or institutionalization for long-term care at government expense.

A number of factors must be considered when making a determination that a person is likely to become a public charge.

Under Section 212(a)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), an individual seeking admission to the United States or seeking to adjust status to that of an individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence (green card)is inadmissible if the individual, "at the time of application for admission or adjustment of status, is likely at any time to become a public charge." Public charge does not apply in naturalization proceedings. If an individual is inadmissible, admission to the United States or adjustment of status is not granted.


They need to go further and ensure that all refugees, asylum, TPS and the several hundred thousand bogus Visa applicant programs are NOT going to be a Public Charge on a LIFETIME of welfare and food stamps or they WILL be deported! They should get NO more than 12 months assistance, then they are cut off and OUT they go!

The more YOU breed...the less money you get! Get on birth control...WE are sick and tired of paying for your romp in the sack and all YOUR mouths to feed! Disgusting ungrateful parasites who come here to live off our US taxpayers dollars. That money is coming out of OUR wallets, out of OUR families budgets and out of OUR quality of life being FORCED to pay for these people. We do not want them coming here anymore.

Don't forget they want to bring their elderly parents here too! I do not want to pay for their medical conditions, surgeries OR their long term care in our medical facilities. WE cannot afford to take care of our own elderly or pay or own medical bills!

THE GRAVY TRAIN IS OVER!

Thank you Beezer for posting this article and the information about public charges. This is a great step forward, please pass the rule and implement it as soon as possible, President Trump! I guess Nielsen isn't so bad after all, huh?!

Well with these kind of numbers at our border and taken in numbers with costs$ to American taxpayer with moneys and lives - let us hope something will be happening to stop this in trump admin. Last public statement by lady daca "I have to take them in" - shades of jeh Johnson. It is over a year with this admin and more action of campaign promises is past due.

We already have rules regarding Public Charge! It has been overlooked.

Now cut these freebies OFF and get them out of here.

Now go after the Anchor Baby SCAM. They are not US citizens and the Bureau of Vital Statistics needs to stop issuing foreign citizens who give birth on our soil those US Birth Certificates! These countries have their own LAWS that state if their citizens give birth on foreign soil...then that child is a CITIZEN of THAT country...not ours!!!

Give them a "Certificate of Child Born Abroad" and deport them! Shut down the "Baby Drop" business and get them out of here.

ENFORCE OUR LAWS.

Yes, we have had laws on the books that prevent all this crap, Trump talked about it a lot during the campaign and in his deportation priorities in his immigration plan. Not sure if people understood the significance of that. Very important!!

Quickly and quietly, getting them out and you don't need Congress to do it this way. Trump is very smart.

Trump needs to go after the IRS, welfare, food stamp and housing offices. Cut off the benefits NOW or those government employees who awarded those benefits get FIRED.

Now get them OFF our medical care.

Fast track deport the pregnant ones!

Fast track deport the UAC and the UAC pregnant ones! They are foreign runaways...get them out in 24 hours of apprehension. Let their country put them in daycare on THEIR soil.

The news out today is GOP is working on balanced budget amendment, there's only four ways we can ever balance our federal budget and that is: DEPORT EVERY SINGLE ILLEGAL ALIEN IN THE COUNTRY, PASS THE FAIRTAX, PROTECT OUR TRADE and DRILL BABY DRILL!! That will do it and do it fast.