The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Trump Administration policy expanding the government’s ability to refuse immigrant visas and issue green cards to immigrants who are likely to become a Public Charge. The 5-4 ruling, which was divided on ideologically lines, will allow the new rule to take effect even as lower federal courts wrestle with multiple legal challenges that have been brought before them as a result of the policy.
Immigrant rights groups have criticized the policy arguing that it will discourage new immigrants from seeking necessary services and impeding immigrant visas from being issued in U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad.
Immigrant visa refusals based on a Public Charge finding have significantly spiked under the Trump Administration. More than 12,000 immigrant visa applicants were refused in 2019 alone compared with only 1,033 in 2016 which was the last year of the Obama Administration.
Visa applicant’s based in the Philippines, Vietnam or Taiwan who have been refused immigrant visas based on Public Charge are encouraged to contact an experienced U.S. immigration lawyer in Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, or Taipei.
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