Recent report estimated there are nearly 17 million illegal immigrants living in the US
FIRST ON FOX: Republican Congressman Bob Good introduced legislation on Thursday that would restore and codify a Trump-era regulation aimed at ensuring that migrants trying to enter the United States can support themselves without relying on government benefits.
Good introduced the Preserving Safety Net Integrity Act, which repeals a December 2022 Biden administration rule that he says incentivizes illegal aliens to use public resources and "significantly raised the threshold of allowable welfare usage" by illegal aliens and immigrants.
The Biden rule took the place of a 2019 rule implemented by the Trump administration that included "rigid requirements" when determining whether illegal immigrants might run the risk of becoming a "public charge."
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A U.S. Border Patrol agent speaks to immigrants blocked from entering a high-traffic illegal border crossing area along Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 20, 2022. (John Moore/Getty Images)
"Ensuring the immigrants who come here can provide for themselves is critical to their well-being and to the health of America’s economy," Good told Fox News Digital. "When it comes to immigration, we are the most generous nation on the face of the earth. Unfortunately, President Biden has given operational control of the southern border to the Mexican crime cartels and invited an unprecedented invasion of 7 million illegal aliens."
"Without the support of this administration, it falls on Congress to fight for an economy that puts Americans first when it comes to access to jobs," the Virginia Republican added. "Codifying the 2019 public charge rule is commonsense and ensures legal immigrants coming to America will contribute to the economy by working to support themselves instead of relying on Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars for support."
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Rep. Bob Good speaks during a news conference with the House Freedom Caucus at the U.S. Capitol on March 10, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Supporters of the 455-page rule from the Biden administration say that green card applicants will no longer be penalized if they use non-cash public assistance programs under the Biden rule. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive think tank, said last month that the Trump rule would have "radically redefined public charge and effectively created a wealth test that would have blocked many people without substantial means from passing a public charge assessment."
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimated in a recent report that there are nearly 17 million illegal immigrants currently living in the United States and that the number has increased by 16% since President Biden took office in early 2021.
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President Biden (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital's Adam Shaw contributed to this report
Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to
