New Trump administration rule cracks down on welfare use by legal immigrants

The new regulation would dramatically expand the government’s definition of public charge, effectively making it more difficult for certain low-income immigrants to secure permanent residency or temporary visas. Asylum seekers and refugees would be exempt from the public charge test. Although the proposed rule would affect immigrants in the U.S. who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, both green card holders and U.S. citizens reported avoiding public benefits because of the proposal’s expected implementation.