The White House has announced the Trump administration will enforce long-standing immigration laws that require entrants to be economically self-sufficient and limits public welfare benefits. An entry alien who is -or becomes- dependent on public welfare assistance, is known as a “public charge”. Aliens will be barred from entering the United States if they are deemed likely to become public charges, or welfare dependent.

These immigration rules have been in place for over 100 years, and generally were strictly enforced until the last 25 years. The Trump administration is re-enforcing the rules.

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The enforcement action will have a direct bearing on the current immigration process as most border arrivals are economic migrants manipulating asylum claims. Immigration based on self-sufficiency has been U.S. law for generations.

[White House] – 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. (White House Link)