{"id":21613,"date":"2019-06-17T15:13:38","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T19:13:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.immigrationreform.com\/?p=21613"},"modified":"2019-06-17T15:13:39","modified_gmt":"2019-06-17T19:13:39","slug":"usciss-cuccinelli-is-taking-the-acting-part-of-his-title-to-heart-immigrationreform-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.immigrationreform.com\/2019\/06\/17\/usciss-cuccinelli-is-taking-the-acting-part-of-his-title-to-heart-immigrationreform-com\/","title":{"rendered":"USCIS\u2019s Cuccinelli Is Taking the \u201cActing\u201d Part of His Title to Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Days after being named<\/a> acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Ken Cuccinelli issued a frank memo reminding individuals who sponsor legal immigrants of their obligation for \u201cevery dollar\u201d of public benefits received by the new arrival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf the sponsored immigrant receives any federal means-tested public benefits, the sponsor will be expected to reimburse the benefits-granting agency for\u00a0every dollar\u00a0of benefits received by the immigrant,\u201d wrote Cuccinelli\u00a0in a June 14 memo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuccinelli also instructed USCIS officers that they would\nbe required to inform \u201cindividuals at their adjustment of status interviews of\ntheir sponsors\u2019 responsibilities under existing law and regulations\u201d to\nreimburse the government for all benefits claimed by the sponsored immigrant.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The memo is a clear sign of the former Virginia attorney general\u2019s intention to implement President Trump\u2019s May 23 Presidential Memorandum<\/a> calling for actual enforcement of existing laws pertaining to immigrants\u2019 eligibility for welfare programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immigrants have long been prohibited by law from receiving most welfare benefits, but past administrations have either paid mere lip service to the law or simply ignored it. The presidential memorandum and a separate public charge regulation<\/a> proposed by the administration last September are part and parcel of an effort to ensure potential immigrants are self-sufficient and unlikely to necessitate support from American taxpayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike the public charge rule, which would expand the\nkinds of public assistance that can be considered when determining whether to\ndeny an applicant a green card, the presidential memorandum simply enforces existing <\/em>law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuccinelli noted that other federal agencies will also\nbegin to \u201cdevelop and implement guidance on the presidential memorandum to make\nsure that agencies enforce these requirements\u201d and then issued a thinly-veiled\nchallenge: \u201cUSCIS will do our part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American taxpayer can only hope that the other\ndepartments, like Health and Human Services, with oversight over benefit\nprograms, will follow Cuccinelli\u2019s lead by doing what they should be doing\nanyway \u2013 enforcing the law. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Days after being named acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Ken Cuccinelli issued a frank memo reminding individuals who sponsor legal immigrants of their obligation for \u201cevery dollar\u201d of public benefits received by the new arrival. \u201cIf the sponsored immigrant receives any federal means-tested public benefits, the sponsor will be expected to<\/p>\n

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