Trump proposal would make it harder for legal immigrants to gain citizenship: report

A proposal being considered by top aides to President Trump would reportedly make it more difficult for legal immigrants to obtain permanent legal status.

NBC News reports that under the proposal, which is the work of senior White House aide Stephen Miller, immigrants who have benefited from welfare programs, including Social Security or ObamaCare, would have to show they pose no risk of becoming a “public charge” in the future.

According to the network, the plan would also place a higher burden on immigrants who have received public assistance for taking care of disabled family members and children, even if those family members are already U.S. citizens, when applying for future changes of status.

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A draft of the proposal was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget, NBC reports, the last step before it is sent to the federal register.

The Department of Homeland Security pointed to the Trump administration’s goal of better prioritizing taxpayer funds in a statement to NBC.

“The administration is committed to enforcing existing immigration law, which is clearly intended to protect the American taxpayer by ensuring that foreign nationals seeking to enter or remain in the U.S are self-sufficient,” a spokeswoman said.

“Any proposed changes would ensure that the government takes the responsibility of being good stewards of taxpayer funds seriously and adjudicates immigration benefit requests in accordance with the law,” she added.

In a separate statement, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) denied that there were any new restrictions on green card or citizenship applications, despite claims from immigration attorneys and civil rights activists that more applicants are being denied than before.

“Contrary to open borders advocates, immigration attorneys and activists, USCIS has not changed the manner in which applications for naturalization have been adjudicated,” said USCIS spokesman Michael Bars, according to NBC.

“We reject the false and inaccurate claims of those who would rather the U.S. turn a blind eye to cases of illegal immigration, fraud, human trafficking, gang activity, and drug proliferation at the expense of public safety, the integrity of our laws and their faithful execution,” Bars said.

Updated at 1:48 p.m.