Currently, government assistance is taken into account when assessing a candidate for citizenship.
QUICK FACTS:
- Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall (R) introduced a resolution that would disallow any illegal immigrant from obtaining citizenship if they depend on taxpayer-funded benefits.
- The resolution’s primary issue is a new regulation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that limits the number of benefits that foreign nationals can receive.
- The current rule also requires that those benefits count against them when they seek permanent U.S. residency.
- Currently, any immigrant who has received one or more designated public benefits for more than 12 months during the course of a 36-month period was considered a “public charge” as defined by the Trump administration in 2019.
MARSHALL’S COMMENTS:
- “DHS’s proposed public charge rules continue our country down the dangerous path of incentivizing migrants to illegally cross our southern border. Granting citizenship to illegal aliens who would be dependent on federal benefits is a burden that American taxpayers and our national debt cannot afford,” Marshall said in a statement.
- “The previous Administration made it clear to would-be lawbreakers that they would receive no support or citizenship from the American government,” Marshall added. “We need to get back to policies like this if our country is going to have any hope at stopping the invasion at our southern border that started when President Biden took office.”
BACKGROUND:
- The treatment of illegal immigrants has been called into question, particularly following news from earlier this month that the federal government paid for room service and other benefits for migrant families.
- In addition to being put up at a hotel, illegal border crossers were given “five-star treatment,” including laundry service, their choice of mattresses, 24-hour access to drinks and snacks, and babysitters to watch their children.
