Trump’s DHS considers proposal to penalize immigrants who receive most types of public benefits

The Trump administration is considering a new policy that would severely punish immigrants who use nearly any form of public welfare or benefit. Federal employees whose job it is to consider immigration cases would be required to penalize immigrants based on a much wider scope of benefits used, and the consequence would be a denial of their petitions. In other words, the denial of legal status, including green cards.

Currently, policy holds that immigrants cannot receive benefits in the form cash payments. The new policy would include anything from noncash benefits to health insurance subsidies to simply utilizing the Earned Income Tax Credit on tax returns. Immigrants who’ve received these benefits, or who have children who receive benefits, and are seeking visas or lawful permanent resident status would have their applications rejected. Those who have not received these benefits but are deemed risks as future recipients would have to post cash bonds as part of their petition.

While President Trump has always claimed they seek to enforce immigration law as it stands, and demonizing undocumented immigrants in the process, it is increasingly clear that the administration has another goal that involves cutting legal pathways for as many immigrants as possible. Soberalski Immigration Law opposes this potential new policy. We fight for immigrants every day, and we know that the road here is often hard and the process is already very complicated. We are committed to guiding our clients faithfully through any new policy changes the administration enacts.

Please follow this link for more information on proposed changes: 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