Trump's public charge rule puts taxpayers first on immigration | Opinion - USA Today

President Donald Trump took office last year with two charges: fix the economy his predecessor had bungled and stop the flood of illegal immigration.

The economy remains a top concern for voters, thanks largely to the war in Iran and the tariff battles. Immigration is another story. Trump has effectively ended former President Joe Biden’s open border.

Kudos to the administration for that. And the president hasn't let up, pressing ahead with commonsense measures to bring immigration under control.

The latest is a rule, effective Sept. 18, that gives immigration officers more leeway to weigh an applicant's use of public benefits when deciding on green cards and visas. The "public charge" rule – the term refers to someone dependent on the government – revives a policy from Trump's first term. No surprise, Biden had weakened the test.

With the United States already $40 trillion in debt, it's perfectly reasonable to expect immigrants who want to stay here to support themselves.

The Department of Homeland Security's rule says as much. It "aligns with long-standing policy that aliens in the United States should be self-reliant and government benefits should not incentivize immigration."

Progressive states and cities are suing to block it. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani heads a coalition of cities, while New York Attorney General Letitia James leads more than 20 states.

"Cruelty is the point," James said at a recent press conference. "Having a chilling effect on immigrants is the point. Letting individuals know that they are not welcome here is the point. Immigration animus is the point."

No, the point is money. Even some of the country's most progressive mayors admitted they were going broke trying to handle the surge of migrants under Biden. Just last year, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleaded for another $1 billion, saying the city had spent about $7 billion on migrant services in three fiscal years.

That's not sustainable. DHS estimates its rule will cut federal and state benefit payments by $13 billion. 

The administration is also ending Temporary Protected Status for many immigrants who have held it for years. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court cleared the way for 300,000 people from Haiti and other countries to lose that protection. They are now here illegally, and DHS is moving to deport them.

Progressives will no doubt call this cruel, too. But "temporary" is literally in the program's name. Haitians first received TPS in 2010, after the earthquake – 16 years ago.

The administration is even offering free flights home and $2,600 to those who self-deport.

Like the public charge rule, these are reasonable steps.

With the midterms approaching, voters keep saying the economy is their biggest worry. Two years ago, border security and immigration topped the list. Now they barely register.

In August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced its 15th straight month of zero releases of migrants at the border, citing an "unprecedented trend of historically low border crossings." Border Patrol apprehensions along the southern border in July were 94% below the monthly average under Biden.

No wonder only 7% of voters in a recent NBC News poll named border security and immigration as the country's top issue.

Democrats can fight the administration all they want. Voters rejected Biden's open border and lax immigration policies in 2024.

And on immigration, Trump keeps delivering.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques.