The ruling was decided upon yesterday in a 5-4 vote, with Republicans obtaining the majority rule.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing President Trump to implement a policy that would allow the government to deny entry to immigrants who may need public assistance or welfare programs.

The Wall Street Journal has reported on the specifics of the new ruling, stating, “if an immigrant makes use of a public assistance program, such as housing assistance, food stamps or Medicaid—or an immigration officer estimates he or she might in the future—the person could be denied a green card or barred from the U.S. altogether.”

Those who oppose the decision believe that this was a classist move and discriminatory towards immigrants who are lower-income.

Former Obama administration immigration advisor Doug Rand told the Wall Street Journal, “Never before have we said, ‘you have to be comfortably middle class before you come to America’. That’s what we’re saying now.”

Most welfare programs aren’t made available to immigrants until they’ve become permanent US residents for five years. Immigration supporters believe this will deter them from ever reaching out for government assistance.

A federal judge in El Paso was quoted as saying that this move is “repugnant to the American dream” and says it violates federal law.

The White House, however, believes this decision will empower people to sustain themselves. Congress said this is a “massive win for American taxpayers, American workers and the American Constitution. This decision allows the government to implement regulations effectuating longstanding federal law that newcomers to this country must be financially self-sufficient.”