President Trump announced Wednesday night that he will soon ask Congress to pass legislation banning immigrants from accessing public assistance within five years of entering the U.S.
“The time has come for new immigration rules that say … those seeking immigration into our country must be able to support themselves financially and should not use welfare for a period of at least five years,” Trump told a campaign-style rally in Grand Rapids, Iowa.
Trump’s proposal would also prevent the admission of people who are likely to become so-called “public charges” within five years of their arrival. The concept of “public charge” has been part of U.S. immigration law for over a century. It allows the government to bar entry to individuals who are likely to seek public assistance. Trump is expected to propose toughening up the rules regarding “public charge” and ensuring that they are enforced.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is musing about putting solar panels on his proposed wall on the Mexican border.
Trump suggested at a rally Wednesday evening in Iowa that a solar wall would “create energy and pay for itself.”
He then joked it would mean Mexico “will have to pay much less money” to build it.
Trump claimed as a candidate that Mexico would fully fund his impenetrable border wall — a plan Mexico rejected.
Trump also suggested the panels would make the wall “beautiful” and then praised himself by saying, “Pretty good imagination, right?”
The wall, which was a signature campaign promise, has not been at the center of the White House’s agenda. Construction has not begun.