1、CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Immigration: Public Charge Updates Updated March 10, 2022 Under federal immigration law, a noncitizen (alien) who is likely to become a public charge is deemed inadmissible, or ineligible to be admitted to the United State
2、s as a lawful permanent resident (LPR or green card holder). Public charge determinations are made based on the totality of the circumstances for each case. In recent years, the criteria considered in public charge determinations have shifted. Longstanding public charge guidance directed immigration
3、 officials to consider whether an individual has become or is likely to become dependent on cash benefits for income maintenance or long-term institutionalization at government expense, among other factors. In 2019, under the Trump Administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a n
4、ew federal regulation that expanded the definition of public charge to consider whether a noncitizen was “more likely than not at any time in the future” to use certain public benefits and added consideration of certain noncash benefits. The regulation was subsequently challenged in court. The Biden