We have
written in the past about the link between Medicaid and
immigration. Last October, we described a proposed rule issued by
the Department of Homeland Security that would strengthen the
"public charge" grounds for inadmissibility to the United
States. If this proposed rule is finalized, many non-U.S. citizens
seeking immigration benefits (such as a visa, adjustment in status
or naturalization) could see those benefits denied if they utilized
public benefits such as Medicaid.
Last week, President Trump signed a new Executive Order that will likely take an
additional step to curtail the use of public benefits by immigrants
– in this case, immigrants on whose behalf a sponsor is
petitioning for permanent residence (i.e., a green card). Although
the Executive Order itself does not contain any new legally
enforceable requirements, it does direct members of the
President's cabinet to more aggressively enforce a 1990s-era
law that, in the President's view, is not
