Biden cancels Trump plan to ban immigrants who cannot afford healthcare coverage

President Joe Biden rescinded former President Donald Trump's executive order that would have denied visas to immigrants who were viewed as a financial "burden" to the U.S. healthcare system.

The White House announced Friday afternoon that it would not go forward with the Trump administration's plan because it "does not advance the interests" of the United States. The move is the latest in a string of reversals of Trump policies and protocols to restrict both legal immigration and asylum-seekers, following Biden's earlier decisions to halt border wall construction, increase the number of refugees admitted, and return to catch and release policies at the southern border.

"My administration is committed to expanding access to quality, affordable healthcare. We can achieve that objective, however, without barring the entry of noncitizens who seek to immigrate lawfully to this country but who lack significant financial means or have not purchased health insurance coverage from a restrictive list of qualifying plans," Biden said in a proclamation reversing the order.