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-Land of the Free
Trump Admin to Exclude Migrants on Welfare from Green Cards
2026-07-17
[BB] The Trump administration is rescinding a Biden-era rule that ignored a migrant’s use of welfare, food stamps, and other tax-paid subsidies when determining eligibility for permanent legal status.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is preparing to eliminate the Biden rule and will reinstate the “public charge” test on whether or not a migrant is a good candidate for a green card, CBS News reported.

The “public charge” test determines if a migrant is self-sufficient, and thereby a worthy addition to our society, or if they are on public assistance and are therefore not a productive prospect for residency.

The rule states that a migrant can be deemed inadmissible if they become a “public charge” who is supported by taxpayers. In 2022, the Biden administration watered down the rule so that migrants could still qualify for a green card even if they are on some sort of public assistance.

DHS, though, is reinstating the broader interpretation implemented in 2016 that allows officers to evaluate a green card applicant based on their age, health, family status, assets, financial resources, education, skills and if they receive means-tested taxpayer-funded benefits.

Unlike the Biden era rule, DHS is adding food stamps, use of Medicaid funds, and housing assistance to the proscription list.

DHS estimated the new rule could affect up to 588,000 applicants who are applying from inside the country and reportedly could go into effect in October.

The rule is not only a Trump policy. The public charge rule was first implemented in 1999 under the Clinton presidency.
Related:
Public charge 02/06/2026 Over Half of Immigrant Households Are on Welfare, Far Surpassing American Households
Public charge 01/14/2026 US freezes all visa processing for 75 countries, including Somalia, Russia, Iran
Public charge 11/29/2025 Total national security shutdown: Immigration cessation has long-standing historical precedent

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