Latest news with #USAFacts
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
How Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Changed Benefits for Immigrants
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Debate has raged in recent months over the access immigrants get to federal benefits and how they pay into the system, with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act making some major changes to that access for some in recent weeks. With different immigrant types, from naturalized citizens to temporary visa holders, receiving different levels of access to health care, education, and financial aid, it has often been difficult to get a clear picture of the situation. On Friday, USAFacts published a breakdown of a range of common benefits, from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to Section 8 housing, as well as the duties immigrants are expected to pay into, with the aim of making the topic clearer. "When I first started this, I naively thought that this would be a little bit simpler, that there would be hard and fast rules that all government programs follow the same process of who is eligible and who is not," Amber Thomas, a senior data visualization engineer at USAFacts, told Newsweek. "It turns out it's really varied, sometimes between programs and sometimes based on immigration status. "So I've included seven different immigration statuses here. These are not all of the immigration statuses that the government recognizes. There are many, many more. But these are the ones that we decided you're most likely to hear about." What Benefits Do Immigrants Get? Under President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and other legislation introduced to Congress in recent months, some eligibility is being revoked from certain immigrant groups. "The One Big Beautiful Bill obviously covers a lot of different legislation, and within it, there was a section that recategorized who is eligible based on immigrant status for a handful of programs, and that was specifically Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program), SNAP, and marketplace subsidies," Thomas said. Some of the most notable changes are coming for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, who had a few months of access to some Medicare programs before that was undone by recent bills. Similar changes have been made for refugees and asylees in the United States. For those interested in participating in the Head Start school readiness program, eligibility is now limited to naturalized citizens, green card holders, refugees, and asylees. Applicants with pending asylum cases, DACA, or non-tourist visas are excluded. A nurse administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a man at a clinic targeting immigrant community members in Los Angeles on March 25, 2021. A nurse administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a man at a clinic targeting immigrant community members in Los Angeles on March 25, have argued that these changes were necessary in order to prevent illegal immigrants from fraudulently using federal government benefits, but immigrant advocates have warned that thousands of people will be left without access to vital health care and other services. "Republicans in Congress have succeeded in our mission to enact President Trump's America First agenda," House Republicans said in a joint statement on July 3. "And importantly, we did it in record time, so that the effects of this nation-shaping legislation can be felt by the American people as soon as possible." While the OBBBA did make some major changes to benefits eligibility for immigrants, other restrictions also remain in effect for new green card holders, with a five-year wait time for access to Social Security, Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) benefits. How Can Immigrants Participate in Society? During the 2024 presidential election campaign, and in recent months during the passage of Trump's budget bill, concerns were raised about the duties immigrants were able to participate in and the programs they were paying into. USAFacts also unpacked some of these, clearly explaining that naturalized citizens take part in all five listed above. All immigrants pay taxes in some way, while no other category has the ability to vote in federal elections. There are also varying levels of permissions to work legally and serve in the U.S. military. One area of tension with the OBBBA has been around health care. With all immigrants paying taxes, but not all being able to access Medicare, advocates have repeatedly argued that this is unfair. "We shouldn't be kicking millions of people off Medicaid and denying lifesaving care to fund the Trump administration's extreme deportation machine," Deirdre Schifeling, chief political and advocacy officer with the ACLU, said in a press release in June. "The American people did not vote for this. We will make sure that constituents remember the catastrophic harm this bill does and hold lawmakers accountable." Some of the policies are yet to take effect, with health access revoked in stages: in October 2026 and then in January 2027. Those using SNAP will likely see the changes take effect when they next try to verify their status.
The Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald
Homeless who refuse to cooperate with Trump crackdown may go to jail, White House says
US communities have long experienced seemingly intractable problems with homelessness, which reached an all-time national high of more than 771,000 men, women and children on a single night in 2024, according to the department of housing and urban development's (HUD) latest homelessness report to Congress. The HUD report estimated Washington's homeless population at 5,616, a 14.1% increase from the year before. That made Washington, a city of just over 700,000 people, the 16th out of the 20 US cities with the largest homeless populations, according to the website USA Facts. The top five cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and Denver. The District of Columbia had the highest prevalence of homelessness among US states, with 83 homeless individuals for every 10,000 people, HUD data showed. Homeless people did not appear to be caught up in a Monday night sweep by 850 officers and federal agents, who the White House said made 23 arrests across the city, an operation which Leavitt announced at a press conference on Monday. The District of Columbia operates under the Home Rule Act which gives Congress ultimate authority but allows residents to elect a mayor and city council. Trump bypassed the city's elected leaders by declaring a 'public safety emergency' and invoking a section of the act that allows the president to take over the police force for 30 days under emergency conditions. On Sunday night, a small group of federal agents arrived at Union Station, a gathering place for homeless people, and briefly questioned a person standing there, according to a man who was outside the building at the time. After about 15 minutes, the agents from federal agencies left. Jacob Adams, a political activist with Flare USA, a self-described anti-Trump group, was sitting at the organisation's table set up near the fountain outside the station. He said the agents did nothing to disperse the people who had gathered there, and told them they could stay overnight. 'I don't know if it was a show of force or photo ops but it didn't come off as very forceful,' Adams said. Wassenich said on Tuesday so far there was little evidence of the unhoused population being directly affected by the surge in law enforcement. 'If they are caught up in other things, that's certainly possible,' he said. 'The tents are standing. The people are sleeping on whatever bench they might be on.' Reuters
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Homeless who refuse to cooperate with Trump crackdown may go to jail, White House says
US communities have long experienced seemingly intractable problems with homelessness, which reached an all-time national high of more than 771,000 men, women and children on a single night in 2024, according to the department of housing and urban development's (HUD) latest homelessness report to Congress. The HUD report estimated Washington's homeless population at 5,616, a 14.1% increase from the year before. That made Washington, a city of just over 700,000 people, the 16th out of the 20 US cities with the largest homeless populations, according to the website USA Facts. The top five cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and Denver. The District of Columbia had the highest prevalence of homelessness among US states, with 83 homeless individuals for every 10,000 people, HUD data showed. Homeless people did not appear to be caught up in a Monday night sweep by 850 officers and federal agents, who the White House said made 23 arrests across the city, an operation which Leavitt announced at a press conference on Monday. The District of Columbia operates under the Home Rule Act which gives Congress ultimate authority but allows residents to elect a mayor and city council. Trump bypassed the city's elected leaders by declaring a 'public safety emergency' and invoking a section of the act that allows the president to take over the police force for 30 days under emergency conditions. On Sunday night, a small group of federal agents arrived at Union Station, a gathering place for homeless people, and briefly questioned a person standing there, according to a man who was outside the building at the time. After about 15 minutes, the agents from federal agencies left. Jacob Adams, a political activist with Flare USA, a self-described anti-Trump group, was sitting at the organisation's table set up near the fountain outside the station. He said the agents did nothing to disperse the people who had gathered there, and told them they could stay overnight. 'I don't know if it was a show of force or photo ops but it didn't come off as very forceful,' Adams said. Wassenich said on Tuesday so far there was little evidence of the unhoused population being directly affected by the surge in law enforcement. 'If they are caught up in other things, that's certainly possible,' he said. 'The tents are standing. The people are sleeping on whatever bench they might be on.'
The Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Trump crackdown may jail homeless refusing services in Washington
WASHINGTON: Homeless people in Washington, D.C., could face jail time if they do not comply with President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on crime and rid the U.S. capital of homeless encampments, the White House said on Tuesday. 'Homeless individuals will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental-health services, and if they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time,' White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Leavitt said the administration was exploring strategies to relocate homeless individuals 'far from the capital.' She said U.S. Park Police have removed 70 homeless encampments from federal parks since March and are set to clear the remaining two encampments in the city later this week. Andy Wassenich, director of policy at Miriam's Kitchen - an organization offering services to the homeless - said his team was out trying to warn people. He said there was still a lot of confusion about what the crackdown may bring. Their best advice, he said, was: 'Go to shelter if you can, if you can stand it. If you have anybody you can stay with, get off the street, and seek safety and let us know what we can do for you.' Trump said on social media that he wanted the homeless out of Washington even before he announced the extraordinary step of temporarily taking over the District of Columbia's police department and deploying 800 National Guard troops as part of a crackdown on crime there - an effort that also includes another 500 federal law enforcement agents. A billionaire real estate developer, Trump described the homeless as one of several groups who have 'overtaken' Washington that include 'violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs.' He likened his intended crackdown to his administration's actions to secure the U.S. border with Mexico. HOMELESSNESS REACHED A RECORD HIGH NATIONWIDE IN 2024 U.S. communities have long experienced seemingly intractable problems with homelessness, which reached an all-time national high of over 771,000 men, women and children on a single night in 2024, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's latest homelessness report to Congress. The HUD report estimated Washington's homeless population at 5,616, a 14.1% increase from the year before. That made Washington, a city of just over 700,000 people, the 16th out of the 20 U.S. cities with the largest homeless populations, according to the website USA Facts. The top five cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and Denver. But the District of Columbia had the highest prevalence of homelessness among U.S. states, with 83 homeless individuals for every 10,000 people, HUD data showed. Homeless people did not appear to be caught up in a Monday night sweep by 850 officers and federal agents, who the White House said made 23 arrests across the city, an operation which Leavitt announced at a press conference on Monday. The District of Columbia operates under the Home Rule Act, which gives Congress ultimate authority but allows residents to elect a mayor and city council. Trump bypassed the city's elected leaders by declaring a 'public safety emergency' and invoking a section of the act that allows the president to take over the police force for 30 days under emergency conditions. On Sunday night, a small group of federal agents arrived at Union Station - a gathering place for homeless people - and briefly questioned a person standing there, according to a man who was outside the building at the time. After about 15 minutes, the agents, who were from a variety of federal agencies, left with little fanfare. Jacob Adams, a political activist with FLARE USA, a self-described anti-Trump group, was sitting at the organization's table set up near the fountain outside the station. He said the agents did nothing to disperse the people who had gathered there, and in fact told them they could stay overnight. 'I don't know if it was a show of force or photo ops. But it didn't come off as very forceful,' Adams said. Wassenich said on Tuesday that so far there was little evidence of the unhoused population being directly affected by the surge in law enforcement. 'If they are caught up in other things, that's certainly possible,' he said. 'The tents are still standing. The people are still sleeping on whatever bench they might be on.' - Reuters
AsiaOne
6 days ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Homeless who refuse to co-operate with Trump crackdown may go to jail, White House says, World News
WASHINGTON — Homeless people in Washington, DC, could face jail time if they do not comply with President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on crime and rid the US capital of homeless encampments, the White House said on Tuesday (Aug 12). "Homeless individuals will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental-health services, and if they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Leavitt said the administration was exploring strategies to relocate homeless individuals "far from the capital." She said US Park Police have removed 70 homeless encampments from federal parks since March and are set to clear the remaining two encampments in the city later this week. Andy Wassenich, director of policy at Miriam's Kitchen — an organisation offering services to the homeless — said his team was out trying to warn people. He said there was still a lot of confusion about what the crackdown may bring. Their best advice, he said, was: "Go to shelter if you can, if you can stand it. If you have anybody you can stay with, get off the street, and seek safety and let us know what we can do for you." Trump said on social media that he wanted the homeless out of Washington even before he announced the extraordinary step of temporarily taking over the District of Columbia's police department and deploying 800 National Guard troops as part of a crackdown on crime there — an effort that also includes another 500 federal law enforcement agents. [[nid:721238]] A billionaire real estate developer, Trump described the homeless as one of several groups who have "overtaken" Washington that include "violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs." He likened his intended crackdown to his administration's actions to secure the US border with Mexico. Homelessness reached a record high nationwide in 2024 US communities have long experienced seemingly intractable problems with homelessness, which reached an all-time national high of over 771,000 men, women and children on a single night in 2024, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's latest homelessness report to Congress. The HUD report estimated Washington's homeless population at 5,616, a 14.1 per cent increase from the year before. That made Washington, a city of just over 700,000 people, the 16th out of the 20 US cities with the largest homeless populations, according to the website USA Facts. The top five cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and Denver. But the District of Columbia had the highest prevalence of homelessness among US states, with 83 homeless individuals for every 10,000 people, HUD data showed. Homeless people did not appear to be caught up in a Monday night sweep by 850 officers and federal agents, who the White House said made 23 arrests across the city, an operation which Leavitt announced at a press conference on Monday. The District of Columbia operates under the Home Rule Act, which gives Congress ultimate authority but allows residents to elect a mayor and city council. Trump bypassed the city's elected leaders by declaring a "public safety emergency" and invoking a section of the act that allows the president to take over the police force for 30 days under emergency conditions. On Sunday night, a small group of federal agents arrived at Union Station — a gathering place for homeless people — and briefly questioned a person standing there, according to a man who was outside the building at the time. After about 15 minutes, the agents, who were from a variety of federal agencies, left with little fanfare. Jacob Adams, a political activist with FLARE USA, a self-described anti-Trump group, was sitting at the organisation's table set up near the fountain outside the station. He said the agents did nothing to disperse the people who had gathered there, and in fact told them they could stay overnight. "I don't know if it was a show of force or photo ops. But it didn't come off as very forceful," Adams said. Wassenich said on Tuesday that so far there was little evidence of the unhoused population being directly affected by the surge in law enforcement. "If they are caught up in other things, that's certainly possible," he said. "The tents are still standing. The people are still sleeping on whatever bench they might be on." [[nid:721289]]
