The Trump administration is warning migrant sponsors to take financial responsibility for them or expect to be slapped with steep fines, lawsuits, or even prosecution.
American citizens who sponsor migrants that end up using taxpayer-funded benefits like food stamps or housing assistance will be held financially liable and could even face criminal charges, according to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memo obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The announcement, which is intended for all migrant sponsors across the country, marks the latest policy crackdown by the Trump administration.
“It is crucial for sponsors and aliens to meet their fiscal obligations and not push financial burdens onto the American people,” USCIS Spokesman Matthew Tragesser said in a statement provided to the DCNF.
“American taxpayers should not be on the hook to subsidize aliens when their financial sponsors have promised to do so,” Tragesser continued.
Most family-based immigrants are required to be sponsored by a citizen or lawful permanent resident when applying for a green card, according to USCIS. A sponsor agrees to take financial responsibility for them, ensuring that foreign nationals seeking resident status in the U.S. have adequate means of support and will not become dependent on public benefits.
If a migrant receives means-tested public benefits — public benefits funded by the federal or state government, such as welfare or cash assistance — while under support of their sponsor, the agency that provided that benefit can request the sponsor to pay back the cost, according to USCIS. If the cost is not repaid, that agency is permitted to sue the sponsor for repayment, legal fees, and other associated costs.
It’s not just agencies that can sue. The memo also reminds sponsors that migrants themselves may sue them if they fail to provide sufficient financial support.
If a sponsor is discovered to have intentionally lied on their sponsorship paperwork — such as misrepresenting their financial standing in order to obtain approval — they can be subject to criminal prosecution to the “fullest extent” of the law, according to USCIS.
“If fraud is suspected, cases may be referred to the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate for review and investigation,” the USCIS memo states. “If a sponsor knowingly and willfully provides fraudulent or false information, USCIS will deem [the sponsorship affidavit] insufficient and may deny the intending immigrant’s application for adjustment of status.”
Beyond increased enforcement measures along the country’s borders, the Trump administration has also continued to tighten the policies and procedures surrounding legal immigration into the U.S.
USCIS revealed earlier this month that it would begin to more heavily weed out green card applicants who’ve used welfare or other taxpayer-funded government services, meaning migrants on welfare should not expect to be on a pathway to citizenship. In August, the agency declared it would not just consider a foreign national’s absence of misconduct during their citizenship application process, but also weigh their “positive attributes” to society.
“USCIS is adding a new element to the naturalization process that ensures America’s newest citizens not only embrace America’s culture, history, and language but who also demonstrate Good Moral Character,” Tragesser said in August. “This memo ensures that USCIS officers are accounting for an alien’s positive contributions to American society — including community involvement, achievements, and financial responsibility rather than the absence of their misconduct.”
Joseph Edlow, the director of USCIS, previously told the DCNF that his agency is aiming to take on more of an enforcement role under President Donald Trump, such as bolstering voter fraud prevention efforts and weeding out criminals seeking immigration benefits.
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