New U.S. immigration rule to hit low-income immigrants

The Trump administration, which has toughened immigration policies, said it will deny visas and permanent residency for low-income foreigners starting from October.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday (local time) unveiled the 837-page rule that will be used to eval‎uate would-be immigrants. A total of 382,000 people, including legal immigrants are expected to be reviewed if they are likely to receive public assistance. The Associated Press reported that about 544,000 people apply for green cards every year.

According to the new rule, a would-be immigrant, who has received public assistance such as social welfare benefits food stamps, housing vouchers, or Medicaid or is likely to be public charge could be denied a green card. If legal immigrants, such as international students or those who have work visas, received public assistance, for over 12 months, it is likely that their permanent residency application or citizenship application will be denied. The new rule could “cut legal immigration in half by denying visas and permanent residency,” Reuters reported.

Experts say the new rule could be the most drastic of all the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies. “Through the public charge rule, President Trump’s administration is reinforcing the ideals of self-sufficiency and personal responsibility,” said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli said during a press conference. The new rule has been established based on the draft proposal, which was first published in last October. After being posted on an official gazette, the new rule will go into effect on October 15. Those who benefited from the previous rule will not be affected by the new rule since it will not be applied retroactively.


Yong Park parky@donga.com