US Supreme Court rules that President Trump's administration can bar green cards from people dependent on public benefits.

File photo of the Supreme Court. NBC/Reuters.

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that a new Trump administration rule that allows denial of green cards based on immigrants taking benefits can go into effect. NBC News. The rule change redefines the "public charge" rule that allows the government to deny green cards for people likely to be dependent on public benefits. In the past this only counted cash benefits but the new rule would include things like Medicaid, SNAP/food stamps and federal housing assistance. The implementation was blocked by lower courts and the case is still working its way through the judicial system. Justices Gorsuch and Thomas condemned the wide practice of lower judges implementing nationwide injunctions and called on the court to review the practice. 

My Comment:

This isn't a ruling on the legality of the new public charge rule. That rule could eventually be overturned in the court, so it's not like this is the last we will here about this issue. However, it is true that the rule can go into effect as the case works through the courts. I will say that given the fact that the Justices ruled in favor of the state here, I would think that the rule change will hold. My guess is that the lower courts will be overturned yet again. 

Before I get into the immigration issue, I have to agree with Justices Gorsuch and Thomas. I do think that the lower court judges are going way off the reservation with these constant injunctions that prevent the executive branch from enacting any policy. We have seen this play out so many times now where a leftist judge issues an injunction on flimsy justification and it eventually gets overturned by a higher court. But the government loses months of time during the legal battle and a lot of damage is done in the meantime. I do think this process needs to be changed as it's not right for an unelected judge in a lower court to make policy for the entire country when the legal issues are not decided in a court of law yet. 

As for the immigration issue, of course we shouldn't give green cards to people who will be dependent on public benefits! This seems so obvious that it seems hard to believe that anyone would disagree with it. Of course the Democrats want these people as voters so they will be willing to go against their own constituents but I doubt their other voters will be happy. Of course, so many Democrats seem to buy into the "everything the GOP does is racist even if it benefits us directly" sham that it's possible the voters will be upset about this. 

Nobody wants to pay for people to come here if they aren't going to contribute to society. The whole idea of immigration is that it is beneficial to bring people in who have good skills or can bring something to the table that is lacking in America. If someone comes here and immediately goes onto one of our welfare programs they aren't contributing anything and are in fact taking money away from people who are more entitled two it. You can be opposed to welfare or in support of it but everyone should agree that the system won't work if we allow all of the worlds population to go on American welfare. 

It makes little sense to argue that someone who comes here and takes welfare cash is a public charge but someone who comes here and gets Medicaid and food stamps is not. You really have to be among the poorest of the poor to get on these programs so it's pretty clear that these people aren't contributing to the United States. No matter if it is cash payments or health care, you are depriving American citizens of their benefits and you shouldn't be allowed to stay here. 

It's unclear how many people will be effected by this ruling. From what I understand not many people are admitted on green cards that take public benefits before this ruling in the first place. However, even if it's only a few people it's still a positive. We bear no responsibility for the people that want to come to this country so it's a good thing that we are going to be letting in fewer freeloaders. 

Finally, I do have to say that President Trump has been a fairly effective president on immigration issues. While progress has been slow due to activist judges he is putting into effect new laws and rules which have slowed to progress of both legal and illegal immigration. I have seen a lot of demoralizing comments on social media, probably mostly posted by anti-Trump shills, who claim he has done nothing, but it's clear that this rule, the construction on the border wall and even getting Mexico to help out prove that isn't the case. He hasn't been perfect and he has been hampered by court rulings but he is doing more on the immigration than any other President in recent history.