The US government has introduced a new regulation on restricting legal immigration to raise the threshold for immigrants to stay in the US for a long time.
This regulation will take effect in a few weeks’ time, precisely on Oct. 15.
According to the regulations, foreign citizens who apply to immigrate to the U.S. will be considered “public burden” if they failed to meet the prescribed income standards or receive public benefits for more than one year in any three years in the country.
Also, foreign citizens who are found to be “public burdens” may be prohibited from entering the country or adjusting their immigration status.
According to the regulations, when the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service decides whether to issue a permanent residence permit (green card), it will consider whether the applicant has received public welfare as a factor in consideration of his or her education, income, and health status.
The White House said in a statement on the same day that this provision would help ensure that immigrants were financially self-sufficient rather than relying on US public welfare to safeguard the interests of US citizens.
The dispute was triggered after the release of the regulations.
Some critics believe that the new regulations are aimed at low-income immigrant groups.
After implementation, it may not only reduce the number of legal immigrants in the US, but also make it easier for low-income immigrants in the country to apply for benefits even if they need them, thus increasing their health, education, etc.
According to US media reports, state governments such as California and New York have indicated that they will sue the federal government for this dispute.
The Immigration Rights Group “National Immigration Law Center” also said it would file a lawsuit to prevent what it referred to as “racist motive” rule from entering into force. (Xinhua/NAN)