White House Memo Orders Enforcement of Affidavits of Support

On May 23, 2019, President Trump issued a memorandum ordering his administration to develop rules for U.S. citizens to reimburse the government for each dollar of means-tested federal benefits provided to immigrants they are sponsoring.  While there are already rules in place to prevent the use of certain means-tested benefits by immigrants, enforcement actions by the Federal government are somewhat rare.  This is likely why the Administration feels it is an area in which it can tighten the screws without much blowback.

That being said, enforcement of support obligations would be riddled with practical challenges.  It would require communication and cooperation between multiple state and Federal agencies, as well as the sharing of records that may not exist in an easily shareable format.

The Administration has asked for the proposed rules to be developed within 90 days.

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