In the latest order to crack down on migrants, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has now issued a warning to migrant sponsors to take financial responsibility for the migrants they sponsor or face steep fines, lawsuits or even prosecution. The USCIS memo said American citizens who sponsor migrants that end up using taxpayer-funded benefits like food stamps or housing assistance will be held financially liable and could even face criminal charges.“It is crucial for sponsors and aliens to meet their fiscal obligations and not push financial burdens onto the American people,” USCIS Spokesman Matthew Tragesser said. “American taxpayers should not be on the hook to subsidize aliens when their financial sponsors have promised to do so,” Tragesser said to Daily Caller News Foundation.
Who is a migrant sponsor?
A migrant sponsor is a person, employer, or organization that agrees to take legal and financial responsibility for a foreign national (immigrant or nonimmigrant) coming to the United States. The sponsor ensures the migrant will not become a public charge and, in many cases, provides employment or family support. The sponsor is a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) if it’s an individual. They file a petition (Form I-130) and usually sign an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864), committing to financially support the immigrant. A US citizen applying for a green card for a spouse becomes his or her sponsor. Likewise, a resident applying for a visa for their unmarried child is their sponsor.The message is as much for individuals as it is for employers as US tech companies are the sponsors for the H-1b hirings they make. The administration has already hiked the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 to make foreign hiring harder. Now it has served a warning reminding the tech companies that they are liable for the hirings they makeIf a migrant receives public benefits funded by the federal or state government, such as welfare or cash assistance, while under support of their sponsor, the agency that provided that benefit can request the sponsor to pay back the cost, according to USCIS. If the cost is not repaid, that agency is permitted to sue the sponsor for repayment, legal fees, and other associated costs.If a sponsor is discovered to have intentionally lied on their sponsorship paperwork — such as misrepresenting their financial standing in order to obtain approval, they can be subject to criminal prosecution to the “fullest extent” of the law, according to USCIS.“If fraud is suspected, cases may be referred to the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate for review and investigation,” the USCIS memo said. “If a sponsor knowingly and willfully provides fraudulent or false information, USCIS will deem [the sponsorship affidavit] insufficient and may deny the intending immigrant’s application for adjustment of status.”
