Lawsuit Filed Over Trump Rule That Requires Visa-Seekers To Prove They Can Pay For Health Insurance
"Congress makes laws, the president executes them. This is an egregious attempt to supersede and overturn congressional will, not only in the immigration realm but in the health care realm," said Jesse Bless, director of federal litigation at the American Immigration Lawyers Association who helped file the case.
The Associated Press:
US Sued Over Health Insurance Rule For Immigrant Families
A lawsuit Wednesday accused the Trump administration of preventing Americans from bringing their foreign spouses and parents to live with them in the United States by requiring those immigrants to prove they can afford health care before they get visas. Seven U.S. citizens and a nonprofit organization filed the federal lawsuit in Portland, Oregon, over the rule that's set to take effect Sunday. It applies to people seeking immigrant visas from abroad, not those already in the country, and doesn't affect asylum seekers, refugees or children. (Taxin, 10/30)
The Oregonian:
Class-Action Suit Filed In Portland To Bar President Trump From Restricting Visas For Immigrants Without Health Insurance
The suit alleges the requirement is arbitrary, an “abuse of discretion” and discriminatory. It asks a judge to declare the proclamation unlawful and bar the Trump administration from putting it into practice. The president signed the proclamation on Oct. 4, saying immigrants applying for U.S. visas will be denied entry into the country unless they can show they’ll be covered by health insurance within 30 days or show they have the financial resources to pay for any medical costs. The measure goes into effect Sunday. (Bernstein, 10/30)
CBS News:
Groups Sue To Block Administration From Denying Visas To Immigrants Who Can'T Afford Health Care
"Based on the latest data, up to an estimated 375,000 immigrants are at risk each year of being banned due to a lack of "approved" health insurance coverage, or close to two-thirds of all qualified immigrant visa applicants, many of whom are people of color," the groups wrote in their filing. "This is repugnant not only to our values, but also our nation's laws and Constitution." (Montoya-Galvez, 10/30)
The Hill:
Lawsuit Challenges White House Policy Requiring Migrant Health Insurance
"Suspending the entry of potentially two thirds of all legal immigrants to the United States, the Proclamation represents an unprecedented abuse of... power," the suit said. The legal filing also noted, "The Proclamation, like the recent Public Charge Rule, attempts to radically rewrite Congressional decision about which immigrants may enter the country based on wealth considerations." (Frazin, 10/30)
In other news on immigration —
The Associated Press:
Top Trump Official Regrets Immigrant Medical Relief Decision
A top federal immigration official said Wednesday that he takes responsibility for and regrets how the Trump administration’s now rescinded decision to stop considering requests from immigrants seeking to defer deportation for medical treatment and other hardships played out. Acting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ken Cuccinelli told congressional lawmakers he was solely responsible for the widely criticized Aug. 7 policy change. (Marcelo, 10/30)
WBUR:
ICE Is Checking Immigrant Kids' Teeth To Determine Their Age. Does The Science Hold Up?
Undocumented minors seeking asylum in the U.S might be met with an unusual demand: Border officials want to see their teeth.Many unaccompanied migrants who claim to be under 18 years old must undergo a dental exam, after which some of them may be mistakenly moved to maximum-security facilities with adults instead of youth shelters with other children and teenagers. (Young and Saxena, 10/30)
