Donald Trump has promised to end what he calls “a waste of hard-earned taxpayer resources.” What does he mean? The New York Times explains today: it involves eliminating federal benefits for undocumented immigrants and ensuring that the funds go to needy American citizens.
But what the U.S. government isn’t saying is that if this measure is taken, thousands of children will be affected. Migrant children, children authorized to be there, or even American children. Yes, American.
Administration officials have stated that they will root out “illegal immigrants” living in federally subsidized housing, for example. The Department of Agriculture has ordered states to improve immigration vetting practices used to determine eligibility for food stamps. And House Republicans have just passed a tax bill that would limit certain migrants’ access to Medicaid and Medicare, a popular tax credit for parents, and to federal financial aid, among other benefits.
“These measures constitute an aggressive attempt to curb the use of social safety net programs by migrant families. Although Republicans claim to want to eliminate incentives for people to enter the country illegally, unauthorized migrants generally do not receive federal benefits due to efforts to reduce their eligibility. Immigration experts and migrant rights advocates say the changes will be felt most by children who are US citizens but whose parents are undocumented or by migrants who are authorized to live in the United States, such as refugees and people who have been granted asylum,” explains the American newspaper.
