USCIS Returns to 1999 Public Charge Rules

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has moved away from the August 2019 public charge rule that had been crafted and published by the previous administration. On March 9, 2021, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, stated [link] that the Government would no longer defend the public charge rule in court, thus allowing it to be blocked and reverting to the former public charge rules that had been in effect since 1999. On March 19, 2021, the Department withdrew an October 2020 proposed rule [link] changing the affidavit of support requirements to go along with the August 2019 public charge rule.