「綠卡」長久以來被視為是合法居留美國的護身符，但現在連有綠卡都已不能避免遭到驅逐；合法移民現在如違反聯邦和各州向移民提供公共福利的計畫規定，也可能被遞解出境。

根據聯邦公民及移民服務局(USCIS)上月底發布的新準則，移民如濫用「任何與接受公共福利有關的計畫」，將接到必須到移民法庭出庭應訊的通知。

「邁阿密先鋒報」報導，如有證據顯示綠卡持有人對任何公共事務，或在申請政府機構福利有詐欺或故意提供不實陳述的情形，將遭到驅逐。

移民官對這些案件發布出庭通知(NTA)的權力將擴大。NTA是展開驅逐程序的文件。

持有綠卡的合法移民可獲得的主要公共福利，包括為低收入或殘障者提供的醫療補助計畫(Medicaid)、貧困家庭臨時援助計畫、補充營養援助計畫(即糧食券)、補充安全收入(SSI)；兒童健康保險計畫等。

川普政府有意阻止獲得糧食券和幼童教育計畫等公共福利的合法移民或其子女拿到綠卡，因此國土安全部研擬計畫，使獲得上述福利的移民申請綠卡可能更不容易。

國安部的計畫草案說，外國人領取公共福利對美國納稅人造成負擔，而能夠獲得公共福利可能鼓勵外國人移民到美國。

USCIS表示，它對核發NTA的新準則，是用以執行川普總統的移民政策，而移民專家宣稱這會增加驅逐案件和加快驅逐程序。

聯邦當局也加強對付申請入籍的永久合法居民。USCIS的政策備忘錄表示，移民官將擁有更大的裁量權，以對因品格問題申請入籍被拒的移民展開驅逐程序。

這些移民包括在1990年11月29日之前被判定觸犯重罪，或獲得合法永久居留地位後，被判定觸犯可驅逐罪行的人。

配合國土安全部的移民執法優先目標，公民及移民服務局 (USCIS)5日發布新準則，更新核發I-862出庭通知 (Notice to Appear，NTA)的政策，擴大可發出NTA的案件類別，包括有詐欺和刑事活動證據，或當事人申請移民福利被拒，並非法留在美國。

NTA是發給移民的文件，指示他們在規定日期到移民法庭報到；發出NTA也表示對移民展開驅逐程序。

USCIS局長西斯納(Francis Cissna)說：「USCIS官員已有太長的時間，明明發現詐欺或犯罪活動情事，可是協助確保聯邦移民法獲得忠實執行的能力卻受到限制。

更新的政策向USCIS官員提供他們需要的明確準則，以支持總統建立的執法優先目標，保持社區安全，並保護我們的移民體制健全，避免受到有心人利用。」

申請或獲得童年抵美緩遣計畫(DACA)保護的人，如有下列情況可豁免新準則影響：(1)申請或更新DACA或有關福利正等待處理；(2)獲DACA保護者正因DACA可能終止而等待處理。

WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued updated guidance (PDF, 139 KB) today that aligns its policy for issuing Form I-862, Notice to Appear, with the immigration enforcement priorities of the Department of Homeland Security.

A Notice to Appear (NTA) is a document given to an alien that instructs them to appear before an immigration judge on a certain date. The issuance of an NTA commences removal proceedings against the alien. Under the new guidance, USCIS officers will now issue an NTA for a wider range of cases where the individual is removable and there is evidence of fraud, criminal activity, or where an applicant is denied an immigration benefit and is unlawfully present in the United States.

“For too long, USCIS officers uncovering instances of fraudulent or criminal activity have been limited in their ability to help ensure U.S. immigration laws are faithfully executed. This updated policy equips USCIS officers with clear guidance they need and deserve to support the enforcement priorities established by the president, keep our communities safe, and protect the integrity of our immigration system from those seeking to exploit it,” said USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and requestors are exempted from this updated guidance when: (1) processing an initial or renewal DACA request or DACA-related benefit request; or (2) processing a DACA recipient for possible termination of DACA. As explained in the concurrently issued DACA-specific guidance, USCIS will continue to apply the 2011 NTA guidance (PDF, 77 KB) to these cases. USCIS will also continue to follow the existing DACA information-sharing policy regarding any information provided by a DACA requestor in a DACA request or DACA-related benefit request.

USCIS, along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), has legal authority under current immigration laws to issue NTAs. This Policy Memorandum updates the guidelines USCIS officers use to determine when to refer a case to ICE or to issue an NTA. The revised policy generally requires USCIS to issue an NTA in the following categories of cases in which the individual is removable:

• Cases where fraud or misrepresentation is substantiated, and/or where an applicant abused any program related to the receipt of public benefits. USCIS will issue an NTA even if the case is denied for reasons other than fraud.
• Criminal cases where an applicant is convicted of or charged with a criminal offense, or has committed acts that are chargeable as a criminal offense, even if the criminal conduct was not the basis for the denial or the ground of removability. USCIS may refer cases involving serious criminal activity to ICE before adjudication of an immigration benefit request pending before USCIS without issuing an NTA.
• Cases in which USCIS denies a Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, on good moral character grounds because of a criminal offense.
• Cases in which, upon the denial of an application or petition, an applicant is unlawfully present in the United States.

The revised policy does not change the USCIS policy for issuing an NTA in the following categories:

• Cases involving national security concerns;
• Cases where issuing an NTA is required by statute or regulation;
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS) cases, except where, after applying TPS regulatory provisions, a TPS denial or withdrawal results in an individual having no other lawful immigration status;
• DACA recipients and requestors when: (1) processing an initial or renewal DACA request or DACA-related benefit request; or (2) processing a DACA recipient for possible termination of DACA.

Under separate policy guidance (PDF, 77 KB) issued concurrently, USCIS officers will continue to apply PM 602-0050, Revised Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (PDF, 77 KB) (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Removable Aliens, dated November 7, 2011, to the issuance of NTAs and Referrals to ICE for DACA recipients and requestors.

Interim and final policy memos are official USCIS policy documents and are effective the date the memos are issued.

For more information on USCIS and our programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook (/uscis), and Instagram (@USCIS).