Gov. Newsom Triggered by Trump Administration’s End to Welfare-Dependent Illegal Aliens

The Trump administration on Monday issued a much anticipated rule change strengthening federal immigration officials ability to deny green cards to immigrants relying on welfare subsidies. The change is estimated to save American taxpayers $58 billion annually.

The rule change is also expected to put a damper on California’s designation as a destination Sanctuary State for illegal aliens seeking the comforts of asylum.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Monday a final rule that “clearly defines long-standing law to better ensure that aliens seeking to enter and remain in the United States — either temporarily or permanently — are self-sufficient and rely on their own capabilities and the resources of family members, sponsors, and private organizations rather than on public resources.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement after the Trump administration announcement, which his office characterized as, “a rule that targets vulnerable immigrant families.” No mention of legal or illegal immigrant families.

“Newsom said: This is a reckless policy that targets the health and well-being of immigrant families and communities of color, with widespread implications for our state’s health care, housing and affordability.

“We are actively reviewing the details to determine next steps, but for now, I remind immigrant families to empower themselves with qualified legal advice to understand whether the rule could affect them. 

“Our state will always stand solidly behind all Californians regardless of their immigration status.”

A November Center for Immigration Studies report title needs no explaining: “63% of Non-Citizen Households Access Welfare Programs Compared to 35% of native households.”  Non-citizen families use close to twice the welfare subsidies as native-born American families.

“The desire to reduce these rates among future immigrants is the primary justification for the rule change,” the CIS reported. “Immigrant advocacy groups are right to worry that the high welfare use of non-citizens may impact the ability of some to receive green cards, though the actual impacts of the rules are unclear because they do not include all the benefits non-citizens receive on behalf of their children and many welfare programs are not included in the new rules.”

Immigrant advocacy groups, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, knew this rule change was coming.

California is already home to one-third of the nation’s welfare recipients. California is also home to the most residents living below the poverty line in the country. The Center for Immigration Studies report found that more than 72 percent of households headed by illegal aliens are on at least one form of welfare. Breitbart noted: “Compare that to the findings that only about seven-in-twenty, or 35 percent, of native-born households in California are on welfare.”

“This final rule amends DHS regulations by prescribing how DHS will determine whether an alien is inadmissible to the United States based on his or her likelihood of becoming a public charge at any time in the future, as set forth in the Immigration and Nationality Act,” USCIS said in its press release. “The final rule addresses U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) authority to permit an alien to submit a public charge bond in the context of adjustment of status applications. The rule also makes nonimmigrant aliens who have received certain public benefits above a specific threshold generally ineligible for extension of stay and change of status.”

Equally important to note is “A Rasmussen Reports poll conducted in 2017 revealed that more than six-in-ten voters, or 62 percent, said they would support a plan that bans legal immigrants from receiving welfare for at least the first five years of their residency in the country,” Breitbart said. “Roughly 67 percent of swing voters and nearly 60 percent of black Americans said they would support such a plan.”