Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) wants to require people who apply to sponsor immigrant family members to give the government their bank account information, according to a notice in the Federal Register.
Why it matters: Last year, President Trump told agencies to find ways to enforce sponsors' legal financial responsibility for immigrants — including paying the government back if the immigrants use certain public benefits.
Between the lines: All immigrant sponsors must first sign Affidavits of Support, pledging financial responsibility for that immigrant — including if the immigrant uses certain public benefit programs such as food stamps or Medicaid.
- But the law has rarely, if ever, been enforced, according to former Justice Department immigration attorney Leon Fresco.
- The proposed change would also require sponsors to provide information about any previously submitted pledges of support for immigrants they've sponsored.
- Affidavits would have to first be notarized as well.
The big picture: The rule could discourage some people from sponsoring immigrants at all. It‘s part of a broader push by the Trump administration to block immigrants from using public benefit programs — and keep people out of the U.S. who are deemed likely to use public benefits.