DHS plans to consider welfare use in determining immigrants’ green cards

The Trump administration is reviving the public charge rule, which allows the Department of Homeland Security to deny green cards to immigrants who utilize public benefits. This policy enables U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to examine applicants' use of assistance, including Medicaid, food stamps, and housing vouchers, when determining permanent legal status. By broadening the interpretation of immigration rules, the government aims to consider welfare usage as a factor in granting green cards to eligible immigrant applicants.