Page 5 - ARUBA TODAY

A5
U.S. NEWS Monday 24 SepteMber 2018
U.S. considers limit on green cards

for immigrants on benefits

By ELLIOT SPAGAT ment period before it takes
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The effect.
Trump administration has Coming less than seven
proposed rules that could weeks before midterm
deny green cards to immi- elections, the announce-
grants if they use Medic- ment could help galvanize
aid, food stamps, housing voters who have backed
vouchers and other forms or opposed Trump's broad
of public assistance. crackdown on legal and il-
Federal law already re- legal immigration.
quires those seeking green Immigrant advocacy
cards to prove they will not groups said people may
be a burden — or "pub- avoid or withdraw from
lic charge" — but the new public aid programs even
rules detail a broad range at the risk of losing shelter In this Dec. 10, 2015, file photo, pedestrians crossing from Mex-
of programs that could dis- and suffering deteriorating ico into the United States at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry wait in
qualify them. health because they worry line in San Diego.
The Department of Home- they will be denied visas. Associated Press
land Security said Satur- Marielena Hincapié, exec-
day that current and past utive director of the Nation- Medicaid with some ex- vices related to education,
receipt of certain public al Immigration Law Center, ceptions for emergency food stamps and Section 8
benefits above thresholds said the proposal was "an services and disability ser- housing vouchers.q
would be considered "a inhumane attack on the
heavily weighed negative health and wellbeing of so
factor" in granting green many families and commu-
cards as well as temporary nities across the country."
stays. "How you contribute to
The proposal "will clearly your community — and
define long-standing law to not what you look like or
ensure that those seeking the contents of your wallet
to enter and remain in the — should be what matters
United States either tempo- most," she said. "This pro-
rarily or permanently can posed rule does the oppo-
support themselves finan- site and makes clear that
cially and will not be reliant the Trump administration
on public benefits," the de- continues to prioritize mon-
partment said. ey over family unity by en-
The 447-page proposal suring that only the wealthi-
published on the depart- est can afford to build a
ment's website will appear future in this country."
in the Federal Register "in Potentially disqualifying
the coming weeks," trigger- benefits include Medicare
ing a 60-day public com- Part D prescription drugs,

Tribal members settle

abuse cases against

Mormon church

By FELICIA FONSECA vajo Nation and Crow Tribe
Associated Press of Montana.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Four cases recently were
Four Native Americans who settled, three were set-
claimed they were sexu- tled last year and others
ally abused while enrolled reached agreements out
in a now-defunct Mormon of court.
church foster program de- One case remains in Wash-
cades ago filed paperwork ington state.
to dismiss their cases after The terms of the latest
reaching financial settle- agreements are confiden-
ments, a lawyer said. tial and include no admis-
Allegations have been sion of wrongdoing, said
made against the church Craig Vernon, an attorney
by more than a dozen trib- who represented the tribal
al members from the Na- members.q