President Trump’s immigration crackdown is ready to outsmart activist judges with a jaw-dropping strategy. The plan hinges on a little-known law that could slam the brakes on new arrivals until deportations are done. It’s a move that’s got the left clutching their pearls.
Fox News reported that the Trump administration faces a gauntlet of lawsuits and bureaucratic sabotage in its quest to tighten borders and deport illegal immigrants, but a radical proposal to pause all new immigration under 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) could be the game-changer.
This law, upheld by the Supreme Court in 2019, grants the president sweeping authority to block entry if it harms U.S. interests. Talk about a trump card. Since the Immigration Act of 1882, anyone likely to become a "public charge" has been barred from getting a green card.
Yet, 54% of immigrant-headed households are on some form of welfare, and over 11% of benefits go to those who swore they wouldn’t claim them. Bureaucrats, predictably, play fast and loose with the rules, only flagging those "primarily dependent" on cash handouts.
Enforcing the public charge ban could save taxpayers a cool $109 billion annually. Trump’s first administration tried to restore this law, but courts stalled it, and Biden’s team gleefully ditched it. Actions have consequences, and ignoring this law has left Americans footing the bill.
In 1996, Congress mandated that family-based immigrants—68% of the total—secure affidavits from sponsors to cover their costs.
Sponsors must keep immigrants above 125% of the poverty line and repay any welfare used. Without an affidavit, applicants are automatically disqualified, but enforcement is practically nonexistent.
Welfare agencies rarely sue sponsors to recover funds, and benefits like Medicaid don’t trigger reimbursement. There are "few documented cases" of the government holding sponsors accountable. It’s almost as if the system is designed to fail.
A DHS study revealed that 70% of asylum applications are fraudulent or suspect, a fact the Obama administration buried until a whistleblower spilled the beans to Congress. With over 1 million asylum claims filed in 2023, the system is drowning in deceit. No wonder trust in immigration policy is at an all-time low.
In May 2023, Border Patrol vehicles were spotted removing vulnerable immigrants, including unaccompanied minors, in El Paso, Texas.
By September, an individual named Castillo reportedly slipped across the border in the same area. The revolving door at the border keeps spinning.
The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, meant to shield foreigners during crises, is another loophole ripe for abuse. A judge blocked Trump from ending TPS for 350,000 Venezuelans granted relief by Biden, despite courts lacking the authority to review such decisions. Activist judges strike again.
Enter 8 U.S.C. 1182(f), a law every president since Reagan has used to suspend entry when it’s "detrimental to the interests of the United States." A district court even noted it could justify closing the border if facilities are overwhelmed. Trump’s team is eyeing this as the ultimate checkmate.
The Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling on 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) made it clear: the president calls the shots on who gets in. With this authority, Trump could halt new admissions until deportations are complete, sidestepping judicial roadblocks. It’s a bold move that could reset the immigration debate.
On March 25, 2025, Marine Corps troops were deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border near Tijuana-San Diego to enforce the border wall. This show of force signals Trump’s no-nonsense approach. The message is clear: the border isn’t a suggestion.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem holds the keys to immigration benefits, a power currently delegated to immigration officers. Rescinding those delegations could grind new approvals to a halt, giving Trump’s team time to clear the deportation backlog. Bureaucrats won’t like it, but that’s the point.
By leveraging 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and tightening enforcement, Trump aims to deliver on his promise to secure the border and prioritize Americans. The left will scream, but the law is on his side. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the most effective.