President Donald Trump’s administration is considering a plan to deny admission to the United States to immigrants who would likely require public assistance, and set standards for deporting those already in the country who “become a public charge,” according to two leaked draft executive orders.
The orders were published on Tuesday by the Washington Post.
“Households headed by aliens are much more likely than those headed by citizens to use Federal means-tested public benefits,” one order reads, while providing no evidence to support that claim.
The order would “deny admission to any alien who is likely to become a public charge” based on factors such as whether the immigrant is likely to receive “public benefits for which eligibility or amount is determined in any way on the basis of income, resources, or financial need.”
It would also set standards to determine whether an immigrant already living in the United States would be deportable “for having become a public charge within five years of entry.”
The Immigration and Nationality Act already allows federal immigration authorities to deny immigrants admission and to deny those already living in the United States permanent resident status if they are “likely at any time to become a public charge.”
“Past administrations in recent years have failed to enforce this policy,” reads a memo attached to the order.
The other order would rescind work visa provisions for foreign nationals which are found to run counter to “the national interest” or violate immigration laws, according to the Washington Post.
