BENEFITS RULE CHANGE PUNISHES FAMILIES AND CHILDREN FOR BEING POOR
Unlawful rule change will limit legal migration for those who use some public benefits penalizes low-income families who seek to meet basic needs.
Los Angeles — The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), rejected and denounced an announcement by the Trump administration Monday it will move forward with imposing extra conditions to those who want to adjust their immigration status, ruling them out of the process if they use publicly-funded benefits such as food stamps. The so-called public charge rule will hurt vulnerable communities, those with limited means who will have to choose health care, nutrition, or legal immigration status, and impact family-unity migration.
The following are statements for Angelica Salas, CHIRLA Executive Director.
“This rule change is cruel, unnecessary, and underscores the clear objective of the Trump Administration’s White, nativist, xenophobic agenda: keep all immigrants out.
The Trump Administration’s grand scheme to turn our nation’s immigration system into a merit-based, exclusive club is taking one more step forward. The rule change announced today will radically alters a long-standing interpretation of the Public Charge rule and is an attack on immigrant families, including US-born children.
America is as strong as our families are healthy. Forcing immigrants to choose between their family’s basic needs, such as food or housing — which they help fund with their tax dollars — and a path to legalization crosses yet another line.
Trump’s public charge if allowed to go into effect unchallenged would make our communities and our nation sicker, hungrier, poorer. We are ready to join legal challenges to this dastardly rule and rebuff President Trump’s rejection of our our nation’s long-standing traditions and immigration history.”
MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Immigrant rights experts, including immigration attorneys, are available to comment on the proposed rule change at your request.
