Here's some news from earlier in the week, and it's a CBS News exclusive. CBS News reported that the Trump administration was allowing immigration officers, when deciding whether applicants qualified for permanent legal status, to consider whether they had used taxpayer-funded benefits, including Medicaid, SNAP, and housing benefits. In short:
#BREAKING: DHS to deny green cards to immigrants who use SNAP or Medicaid.
— Insider Wire (@InsiderWire) July 16, 2026
This is exactly the kind of accountability I have been demanding for years. https://t.co/VkHptCSEl3
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) July 18, 2026
Exclusive: The Trump administration is allowing immigration officers to consider whether some applicants have used taxpayer-funded benefits — including Medicaid, food stamps and housing assistance — when determining whether they qualify for permanent legal status.…
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 16, 2026
Nicole Sganga reports:
The Department of Homeland Security is poised to rescind a 2022 Biden-era regulation narrowing how officers apply a long-standing "public charge" test — an immigration screening tool used to determine whether applicants are likely to rely on government support — according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials.
The change may directly affect hundreds of thousands of people applying for green cards from inside the U.S. each year. It could trigger a broader ripple effect if immigrant families avoid health care, food, or housing assistance — even when they or their U.S.-citizen children legally qualify — out of fear that tapping into those benefits could ultimately hurt their immigration cases.
….yes? https://t.co/BGBZHS1wik
— Sunny (@sunnyright) July 16, 2026
Great news!
— Mary Magdalen (@Gr8LakesCzarina) July 16, 2026
Liable To Become a Public Charge is a cornerstone of federal immigration policy. Since 1882.
— Words Matter (@WordsMa30048486) July 16, 2026
Ellis Island 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/o6OSBKVyb6
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Oh noes, you mean Trump is going to apply the public charge immigration laws as they have been written for 140+ years? pic.twitter.com/ZXtDVSWL3m
— JD (@jamesmdowns) July 16, 2026
When my wife became a permanent resident under Obama, we had to provide tax statements and she had to affirm that she wouldn't become a burden on the US taxpayers.
— Silence 🇺🇸 (@Fuzz2149) July 17, 2026
This isn't new folks. It's been the standard all along whether it was enforced or not.
It’s called “supporting yourself”. That used to be a requirement to immigrate to America, and rightfully so. This is good news.🇺🇸
— Mike Shea (@Shea1Mike) July 16, 2026
Wait….we haven’t been doing this already?
— Jim Muessig (@JimMuessig) July 16, 2026
The fact that @CBSNews seems to think that this is newsworthy is more than a bit scary.
— Millions of People (@denverfrogTCU) July 17, 2026
Good! Both legal and illegal immigrants cannot be a public charge. If they cannot support themselves they should be deported.
— Danielle☦️ (@DanielleNorgedm) July 16, 2026
I hope this is evaluated by household. Because illegal parents benefit from their anchor babies bringing taxpayer benefits into the house, regardless of whether they could qualify themselves. The public charge rule needs to be enforced good and hard.
— Foxfur1776 (@foxfur1776) July 16, 2026
Shouldn't we have already been doing that?
— ⚔️ Arthur ⚔️ (@artfromtex) July 16, 2026
When the Europeans and others in the 30's, 40s and 50's came through Ellis Island, they received no government support....they had to be sponsored. We can don't even care for our own elderly or vets or citizens, why should we for non-citizens. They should go back home.
— Ken #MAGA (@FedUpKen) July 17, 2026
We are not the world's welfare office. Don't come.
— John Malverne (@JohnMalverne) July 18, 2026
This is actually the law and has been for many years.
— Snake (@Snake1633691791) July 17, 2026
But it's a CBS News exclusive!
These are not immigrants, these are people who were bribed to come here with free money and the promise of free housing and free healthcare.
— Gary Luludis (@GLuludis) July 16, 2026
What an odd thing to consider. We have been *assured* repeatedly that illegals don't receive public assistance.
— Banana In The Tailpipe (@TailpipeBanana) July 16, 2026
What would make for a newsworthy report is why the Biden administration narrowed how officers applied the long-standing "public charge" test.
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