The Trump administration has expanded its interpretation of a federal law to restrict access to more public benefit programmes for immigrants, including those living legally in the United States.

On Thursday, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it is rescinding a decades-old policy defining which programmes count as "federal public benefits" and is adding 13 new categories, bringing the total to 44.

Among the newly included programmes are Head Start, substance use recovery services, Title X family planning, health workforce grants, and assistance for people experiencing homelessness.

"For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans' tax dollars to incentivise illegal immigration," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr), in support of the changes.

The policy revision is part of President Donald Trump’s broader crackdown on illegal immigration.

Affecting illegals and legals

While the administration says it targets those in the country illegally, several measures have also affected permanent residents and others legally present.

By law, most immigrants are already ineligible for federal benefits such as Medicaid and Social Security.

The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act imposed five-year bans on many benefits for legal permanent residents and barred others entirely.

The law left it to federal agencies to define which programmes qualify as "federal public benefits."

HHS had previously issued a 1998 interpretation listing 31 programmes.

The department now says that guidance improperly extended access to some immigrants not legally qualified.

The new interpretation takes effect once published in the Federal Register, with a 30-day public comment period.

HHS said the new list is not exhaustive and that further guidance would follow for the impacted programs.