California threatens legal action as Trump tightens green card rules for immigrants

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced Monday that it is moving ahead with one of its most aggressive steps to restrict legal immigration, denying green cards to many immigrants who use Medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers or other forms of public assistance.

Federal law already requires those seeking green cards and legal status to prove they will not be a burden to the U.S., or what’s called a “public charge,” but the new rules detail a broader range of programs that could disqualify them.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers will now weigh public assistance along with other factors such as education, household income and health to determine whether to grant legal status.

Much of President Trump’s effort to crack down on illegal immigration has been in the spotlight, but this rule change targets people who entered the United States legally and are seeking permanent status. It’s part of a push to move the U.S. to a system that focuses on immigrants’ skills instead of emphasizing the reunification of families. The rules will take effect in mid-October.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said he is ready to take legal action against the Trump administration’s rule, though he did not specify when.

The acting director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Ken Cuccinelli, said the rule change fits with the president’s message. “We want to see people coming to this country who are self-sufficient,” Cuccinelli said.

Immigrants make up a small percentage of those who get public benefits. In fact, many are ineligible for public benefits because of their immigration status.

But advocates worry the rules will scare immigrants into not asking for help. And they are concerned the rules give too broad an authority to...