Trump’s public charge rule puts taxpayers first on immigration | Opinion

Trump's public charge rule puts taxpayers first on immigration Opinion Two years ago, border security and immigration topped the list of voters' biggest worries.

Key points

• After the earthquake – 16 years ago, haitians first received TPS in 2010.
• With the United States already $40 trillion in debt, it's perfectly reasonable to expect immigrants who want to stay here to backing themselves.
• The administration is even offering free flights home and $2, 600 to those who self-deport.
• The administration is additionally ending Temporary Protected Status for numerous immigrants who have held it for years.
• Voters rejected Biden's open border and lax immigration policies in 2024.

Mamdani leads cities in lawsuit challenging Trump public charge rule and its impact on immigrant families.

President Donald Trump took office last year with two charges: fix the economy his predecessor had bungled and stop the flood of illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, the economy remains a top concern for voters, thanks largely to the war in Iran and the tariff battles. Immigration is another story. Trump has effectively concluded former President Joe Biden's open border.

Kudos to the administration for that. And the president hasn't let up, pressing ahead with commonsense measures to bring immigration under control.

In practice, the latest is a rule, effective Sept. 18, that gives immigration officers more leeway to weigh an applicant's employ of public benefits when deciding on green cards and visas. The "public charge" rule – the term refers to someone dependent on the administration – revives a policy from Trump's first term. No surprise, Biden had weakened the test.

In practice, the Department of Homeland Security's rule notes as much. It "aligns with long-standing policy that aliens in the United States should be self-reliant and government benefits should not incentivize immigration."

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Democrats say the rule is cruel. But they can't afford to fight it.

Progressive states and cities are suing to block it. While New York Attorney General Letitia James leads more than 20 states, new York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani heads a coalition of cities.

"Cruelty is the point, " James remarked at a recent press conference. "Having a chilling effect on immigrants is the point. Letting individuals know that they are not welcome here is the point. Immigration animus is the point."

No, the point is funds. Even some of the country's most progressive mayors admitted they were going broke trying to handle the surge of migrants under Biden. Just last year, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleaded for another $1 billion, saying the city had spent regarding $7 billion on migrant services in three fiscal years.

That's not sustainable. DHS estimates its rule will cut federal and state benefit payments by $13 billion.

Notably, the administration is additionally ending Temporary Protected Status for numerous immigrants who have held it for years. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court cleared the way for 300, 000 individuals from Haiti and other countries to lose that protection. They are now here illegally, and DHS is moving to deport them.

Progressives will no doubt call this cruel, too. But "temporary" is literally in the program's name. After the earthquake – 16 years ago, haitians first received TPS in 2010.

Meanwhile, the administration is even offering free flights home and $2, 600 to those who self-deport. Like the public charge rule, these are reasonable steps. Thanks to Trump, immigration is no longer a top voter concern.

With the midterms approaching, voters keep saying the economy is their biggest worry. Two years ago, border security and immigration topped the list. Now they barely register.

In August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed its 15th straight month of zero releases of migrants at the border, citing an "unprecedented trend of historically low border crossings." Border Patrol apprehensions along the southern border in July were 94% below the monthly average under Biden.

No wonder only 7% of voters in a recent NBC News poll named border security and immigration as the country's top matter.

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Democrats can fight the administration all they want. Voters rejected Biden's open border and lax immigration policies in 2024. And on immigration, Trump keeps delivering.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques. SMS Facebook Twitter Email. Share your feedback to support improve our site! Share your feedback to support improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around trumps public charge rule puts taxpayers first on immigration point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.