(AFP, Washington) The Trump administration recently introduced new measures to include obesity or children with special needs as grounds for denying immigrant visas.
Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed U.S. embassies abroad to consider obesity and other factors affecting applicants or their dependents when issuing long-term visas, arguing that obesity could lead to expensive long-term care and increase the public charge.
The cable also instructed embassies to assess whether visa applicants' dependents have disabilities, chronic illnesses, or other special needs requiring long-term care that might prevent the applicant from working normally.
This new guideline will apply to those applying for immigration to the United States, not to foreigners making routine short-term visits.
The United States has long assessed whether immigrant applicants are likely to become a public charge—that is, rely on government funding—before deciding whether to grant immigration; this standard also includes cases where U.S. citizens sponsor their spouses for immigration.
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It is worth noting that the United States is one of the most obese countries in the world, with approximately 40% of its population being obese, and the average obesity rate is even higher in states that voted for Trump.
The Trump administration, in carrying out its massive immigration crackdown, has been particularly proactive in finding reasons to deny entry to foreigners, a core campaign promise. To this end, the government has invested heavily in strengthening immigration enforcement, aiming to deport undocumented immigrants on a larger scale, even those who have not committed any crimes other than violating immigration regulations.
State Department spokesman Pigott said, "It's no secret that the Trump administration puts the interests of the American people first… This includes enforcing policies to ensure that our immigration system does not become a burden on American taxpayers."
