January 8, 2020
Today the 2nd circuit upheld a nationwide preliminary injunction against the Administration’s racist expanded public charge regulation. The court’s decision will continue to block the regulation —which seeks to deny immigrants permanent residency for using critical safety net programs, including nutrition, health, and housing programs— from going into effect.
Immigrant advocates applauded the court decision, which protects families from the Administration’s efforts to expand the public charge rule and restrict the pathway to green cards for millions of people. The draft rule met formidable pushback, garnering over 266,000 public comments in opposition, and multiple preliminary injunctions from district courts to stop the rule from going into effect. Today’s 2nd Circuit Court decision keeps the lower court nationwide injunction in place, safeguarding the ability for families to access critical health and public benefits programs.
In response to today’s decision, Cynthia Buiza, Executive Director at the California Immigrant Policy Center, issued the following statement:
“Today, the court upheld a powerful nationwide injunction that protects immigrant families from Trump’s shameful and dangerous policy that seeks to restructure our immigration system in favor of the privileged and wealthy.”
“Our state and our nation are stronger when we reinforce the pathways to opportunities for everyone. The expanded public charge rule goes against our values by forcing families to choose between basic necessities and the opportunity for a secure future in the U.S.”
“Today’s decision safeguards the ability of all families to stay healthy and thrive. But this step is just the beginning. We call on all Californians to denounce the expanded public charge rule and fight with us for inclusive policies that protect our families and communities regardless of status. We also encourage all impacted families to seek the counsel they need to make effective decisions on behalf of their family.”
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