As President Trump nears the finish line of the campaign trail, he seems to be making a few last-minute calls during what may be his last few months in office. In August of this year, the Trump Administration announced an add-on to its strict immigration push to favor certain immigrants based on their needs for benefits.
The new “platform charge” rule is expected to drastically curb legal immigration by denying green cards and visas to immigrants who use or are expected to use local, statewide, or federal benefits, such as:
- Food stamps
- Housing vouchers
- Medicaid
What Are the Potential Implications?
According to an article by ABC News, the government estimates that around 380,000 immigrant applicants may be subject to immediate review with the new rule taken into consideration. Immigrant advocates have loudly denounced the rule, stating that millions of immigrants and their children would be impacted and fewer immigrants will feel safe relying on public nutrition programs to feed their families.
The preliminary draft of the rule was announced back in 2018, and data collected by the Urban Institute found that nearly 14%—or about 1 in 7—adults from immigrant families reported not participating in any type of government benefit program “out of fear of risking future green card status.”
On the same day that the plan was announced, the National Immigration Law Center said it will sue the Trump Administration over the new rule, which the center’s executive director stated, weaponizes “programs that are intended to help people by making them, instead, a means of separating families.”
With the 2020 presidential election results right around the corner, we won’t know exactly how this new rule will be implemented, especially if Trump is not re-elected for a second term.
If you are wondering how this new rule may impact your current or future immigration status or that of your family, Maney Gordon Zeller is here to help answer any questions you may have and ease your worries moving forward.
Contact our firm at (800) 708-4399 to speak with our full-service immigration legal team today and to find out why our clients call us the best immigration lawyers in Tampa.
