Homeland Security Moves to Target Immigrants Who Rely on Government Benefits

‘The 2022 regulations are not the best implementation of the statute, inconsistent with congressional intent,’ the agency says.

A sign for the Department of Homeland Security in Washington on March 24, 2025. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Nov. 17 proposed a rule that would give officials more latitude to deny permanent residency in or entry to the United States to people deemed likely to become primarily dependent on government support.

In the proposed rule, DHS signaled it was moving to repeal a 2022 rule from the Biden administration that narrowed the definition of government benefits and gave protection to some people with green cards or visas.