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Republican Stephen Miller Creates New Rules To Allow Deportation of Legal, Low-Income Immigrants
We have been warned that the Trump administration and Republicans might move from targeting illegal immigrants to green card holders to naturalized American citizens to U.S. born citizens with the “wrong” immigrant parents. Trump's tweet just in early August 2019 telling members of Congress to “go home” shows the next progression. And now this:
The Trump administration introduced a new rule Monday [8/12/19] making it harder for low-income, legal immigrants who receive food stamps or other forms of taxpayer-funded assistance to stay in the country legally.
....broadened assault on the nation’s immigration system, issuing a new rule targeting legal immigrants who want to remain in the United States but whose lack of financial resources is judged likely to make them a burden on taxpayers.
Trump has long insisted that the United States should welcome immigrants based only on the “merit” they demonstrate. And he has disparaged the idea of letting immigrants into the United States from poor and underdeveloped nations, which he once described in the most vulgar of terms.
Monday’s rule is an attempt to enact Mr. Trump’s priorities. It embraces people who have financial means while shunning immigrants who are struggling.
This was never just about stamping out illegal immigration. Republicans are attacking ALL immigrants to try to redefine who belongs in this country as our demographics change. Hurting most vulnerable among us is a gross tactic in this agenda.
The new regulation is aimed at hundreds of thousands of immigrants who enter the country legally every year and then apply to become permanent residents. Starting in October [2019], the government’s decision will be based on an aggressive wealth test to determine whether those immigrants have the means to support themselves.
Poor immigrants will be denied permanent legal status, also known as a green card, if they are deemed likely to use government benefit programs such as food stamps and subsidized housing. Wealthier immigrants, who are designated as less likely to require public assistance, will be able to obtain a green card.
Focusing on immigrants who are using public benefits is a little off as very few do. The rule is designed to allow the Department of Homeland Security to reject people because of what they MIGHT be eligible for in the future. Under the new rule, immigrants will have to convince DHS they can be "self-sufficient" in the future giving DHS discretion to judge groups of people from certain countries and simply say no to them.
The rule would require immigrants applying for a change in immigration status (like a green card) or those seeking to come here to prove that they are unlikely to ever need public assistance, and can bar immigrants who had received assistance above a certain threshold from being approved.
....vast numbers of immigrants, including those not actually subject to the regulation, may drop out of programs they need because they fear retribution by immigration authorities.
It is worth noting that this rule is likely to face court challenges — at least one group has already said they will file a lawsuit. We must support the groups who fight it.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/12/us/politics/trump-immigration-policy.html