Biden extends help for poor immigrants

BIDEN administration has removed a major hurdle for poor immigrants by issuing a new final rule clarifying how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will administer the public charge ground of inadmissibility.

The new rule set to take effect Dec 23, 2022 ‘restores the historical understanding of a ‘public charge' that had been in place for decades,' according to a DHS statement.

Under the Trump era rule supplemental public health benefits such as Medicaid and nutritional assistance were taken into consideration as part of the public charge inadmissibility determination.

The Trump administration also created a new test that considered applicants' income, age, medical conditions, skills and family size.

‘This action ensures fair and humane treatment of legal immigrants and their US citizen family members,” said DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas about the new rule.