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The Golden State Backs Green Card Welfare

Just one more blow to the American taxpayer?

It only took four days for California and several other states to sue the Trump administration for initiating the public charge rule. The policy will deny green cards and citizenship to immigrants who have been using excessive federal assistance. While the decision has been lambasted as discriminatory, It doesn’t seem to matter to the liberals that it is adapted from an already “on the books” law established by the Clinton administration.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), along with Attorney General Xavier Becerra, decided to sue the administration – I know, shocker, right? – on Aug. 16. This is the 56th  lawsuit the Golden State has filed against the president. “I never thought I would start my week defending the bald eagle and end my week defending the statue of liberty,” Newsom said. He called the update a “punch to the gut” and compared it to racist policies of the past, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act.

The District of Columbia, Maine, Oregon, and Pennsylvania joined the complaint. There is more than one dispute over the rule, however. Thirteen other states filed earlier in the week, calling it a barrier to immigration.

But is it?

Reality of The Rule

For one thing, the updated rule does not seek to prevent all immigrants who have been receiving welfare and other federal assistance from obtaining green cards. The decision is to be made on a case-by-case basis.

The Clinton-era immigration law forbade immigrants from getting citizenship if they were using the welfare and financial aid system or were likely to become a “public charge.” Trump has expanded the law to cover welfare programs that were not previously counted, including some housing programs, non-emergency Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program. The decision to broaden and enforce this law is estimated to save the taxpayers a whopping $57.4 billion.

Of course, California lawmakers are going to argue against this enforcement – the state has the largest noncitizen population at nearly 11 million, which is almost a third of the state’s total population.

Facts on Migrant Welfare

Let’s look at some more numbers and the benefits illegal immigrants already receive:

  • The US Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that more than 25,000 undocumented workers receive subsidized housing.
  • Children receive free education, including English lessons, and many qualify for free breakfasts and lunches.
  • Through the Women, Infants, and Children program, pregnant women get prenatal and postpartum care. Delivery costs are paid by Medicaid.
  • According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, federal-state immigrant insurance programs cost $2 billion per year just in emergency treatment. The cost of infant delivery is an extra $1.24 billion.
  • Up to 31% of illegal immigrant families with children born on US soil use the SNAP program, says the Center for Immigration Studies.
  • Also according to the CIS, more than 50% of Central American families use at least one welfare program.

The above are federally funded programs, but some states offer extra benefits:

  • New York provides up to $300 per month in cash assistance.
  • Eleven states offer free or reduced medical and hospital care.
  • California provides legal services, food stamps, and benefits for those who are older than 65, or disabled.

It is estimated that taxpayers are footing the bill for illegal immigrants to the tune of more than $100 billion. It is important to realize that this hefty price tag is only for services and benefits received. This does not include funds for border control, court costs, or, of course, crimes committed.

While America may welcome the tired, the sick, and the poor, it also values productive citizens who aren’t a burden on society. Calling the rule racist is ludicrous. Where were all the complaints back in 1999, when it was first instituted?

~

Read more from Kelli Ballard or comment on this article at Liberty Nation.com.

Read More From Kelli Ballard

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