President Trump is reportedly toying with deporting immigrants on public assistance
Per draft executive orders obtained by The Washington Post, President Trump's administration may be looking to roll out more restrictions on immigrants planning to enter the U.S., as well as those already in the country:
The administration would be seeking to "
deny admission to any alien who is likely to become a public charge" and develop standards for “determining” whether an immigrant can be deported after five years if that person receives a certain amount of public assistance, including Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Medicaid.
The second order, titled "Executive Order on Protecting American Jobs and Workers by Strengthening the Integrity of Foreign Worker Visa Programs" calls for "eliminating" the "jobs magnet" that is driving illegal immigration to the United States, according to a copy obtained by The Post. The order would
rescind any work visa provisions for foreign nationals found not to be in "the national interest" or in violation of U.S. immigration laws. [The Washington Post]
The drafts are apparently just being passed around by administration officials at the moment, and the White House refused to confirm the orders' authenticity. The Washington Post also noted it's not entirely clear if Trump will actually go ahead with either of these actions.
Yet, the orders seem to fall in line with Trump's most hard-line pledges on immigration. One draft order argues "the unlawful employment of aliens has had a devastating impact on the wages and jobs of American workers," though economists generally agree that immigration is more beneficial than harmful to the economy. The orders also suggest that "households headed by aliens are much more likely than those headed by citizens to use federal means-tested public benefits," another claim The Washington Post noted is not supported by evidence.
If enacted, The Post reported the orders "would significantly restrict all types of immigration and foreign travel to the United States, expanding bars on entry to the country that Trump ordered last week."
For more on the story, head over to The Washington Post. —Becca Stanek
http://theweek.com/speedreads/677236/president-trump-reportedly-toying-deporting-immigrants-public-assistance
