It’s not racist to screen out migrants who’ll be a burden NY Post, Aug 12, 2019, Jonathan S. Tobin
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Under the new rule, those who are in the country legally will have a more difficult time obtaining green cards or gaining citizenship if they received food stamps, housing assistance, Medicare or other public benefits.
But the outrage about this rule, which is set to go into effect in 60 days, is overblown. Even in the era of mass immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries, those who came here had to promise not to become a “public charge†upon the United States.
That meant immigrants pledged to work and/or could look to sponsors who would guarantee their support.
The idea of restricting immigration to those who could work is an old one. The federal Immigration Act of 1882 was the first US law to specifically insist that immigrants who couldn’t take care of themselves would be excluded.
That “public-charge†principle has been part of every subsequent federal statute on the subject. The landmark 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act liberalized the system, but it nevertheless allowed for the deportation of immigrants who became public charges within five years.
Moreover, far from being a Trump innovation, the likelihood of needing government assistance is already grounds to deny an immigrant a green card or citizenship.
What is different is that this rule broadens the definition of a public charge. Instead of being defined as receiving welfare payments, it will now also include the myriad benefits available under the ever-expanding welfare state that exists in the 21st century.
Critics complain that this will discourage legal immigrants from seeking assistance that they might need. But the Trump administration wants to shift our immigration system to one based on merit, like the ones that reign in Canada and many European countries.
More:
https://nypost.com/2019/08/12/sorry-but-its-not-racist-to-screen-out-migrants-wholl-be-a-burden/
