In Suit Against New Immigration Rule, California Claims Trump’s ‘Public Charge’ Change ‘Weaponizes Health Care’
California is one of a handful of states suing to block the new rule that would let immigration officials base green card decisions on if a person is utilizing government aid like Medicaid or food stamps. Doctors warn that the change will lead to rising costs and poorer health outcomes for an already vulnerable population. “People are going to be sicker. They’re not going to go get health care, or not until they have to go to an emergency room,” said Lisa David, president and CEO of Public Health Solutions. “It’s going to cost the system a lot of money.”
The Associated Press:
California Leads Latest Lawsuit Over Trump Immigration Rule
California and three other states on Friday filed the latest court challenge to new Trump administration rules blocking green cards for many immigrants who use public assistance including Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers. Nearly half of Americans would be considered a burden if the same standards were applied to U.S. citizens, said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. (Thompson, 8/16)
The Washington Post:
California, Other States Sue Over Trump Plan To Limit Poor Immigrants’ Access To Green Cards
The lawsuit is the fourth legal challenge filed this week since administration officials rolled out a new rule on Monday that seeks to redefine who will be eligible for permanent residency and a path to full U.S. citizenship. The rule, set to take effect in mid-October, will give preference to wealthier, educated immigrants who can support themselves, and it will make it more difficult for immigrants who rely on public help or are determined to be likely to need federal assistance. Opponents of the rule argue that punishing legal immigrants who need financial help endangers the health and safety of immigrant families — including U.S. citizen children — and will foist potentially millions of dollars in emergency health care and other costs onto local and state governments, businesses, hospitals and food banks. (Sacchetti, 8/16)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Sues Over Rule To Block Green Cards For Poor Immigrants
If it survives legal challenges and takes effect Oct. 15, 2019 as planned, the change could put a legal path to citizenship out of reach for many immigrants in California. It’s also expected to discourage people in immigrant families from accessing government food assistance and medical programs. That, in turn, could harm the state’s economy, Becerra warns. About 95 percent of the state’s farmworkers, 42 percent of construction workers and 39 percent of child care and early education workers in the state are immigrants, according to Becerra’s office. (Bollag, 8/16)
The Hill:
California Leads States In Lawsuit Over Trump Public Charge Rule
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) also took aim at the rule in a statement obtained by the paper, saying: “This latest move by the federal administration to demonize immigrants is personal for us, in a state where half of our children have at least one immigrant parent.” “This new rule, designed to create fear in immigrant families, is cruel and threatens our public health. That is not who we are in California, and not who we are as Americans,” he added. (Folley, 8/16)
Los Angeles Times:
California Sues Trump Over 'Public Charge' Rule Denying Green Cards To Immigrants
Legal experts say the case could turn on whether California can demonstrate the Trump administration adopted the policy with an intent to discriminate against certain immigrants, which is part of the state’s legal strategy. “This cruel policy would force working parents and families across the nation to forgo basic necessities like food, housing and healthcare out of fear. That is simply unacceptable,” Becerra said in a statement. (McGreevy, 8/16)
USA Today:
California Is Seeking An Injunction To Block Public Charge Rule
California is not the first jurisdiction tochallenge the "public charge" rule. Maine, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and the District of Columbia joined the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court on Friday, seeking to stop enactment of the new rule. The complaint asserts that the rule unfairly targets "marginalized populations, such as children, students, individuals with disabilities, older adults, and low-wage working families." (Canon, 8/16)
The Associated Press:
Doctors Say New Rule Will Mean Sicker Immigrants
Diabetics skipping regular checkups. Young asthmatics not getting preventive care. A surge in expensive emergency room visits. Doctors and public health experts warn of poor health and rising costs they say will come from sweeping Trump administration changes that would deny green cards to many immigrants who use Medicaid, as well as food stamps and other forms of public assistance. Some advocates say they're already seeing the fallout even before the complex 837-page rule takes effect in October. (8/17)
In other news on the immigration crisis —
The Hill:
Senate Dem Seeks Answers From DHS On Reports Of Pregnant Asylum Seekers Sent Back To Mexico
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) on Friday asked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials to clarify reports that pregnant asylum-seekers have been forced to wait out their immigration cases in Mexican border cities. Merkley wrote DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, asking why six late-term pregnant women were included in the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program in May. (Bernal, 8/16)
The Associated Press:
2 Shuttered Arizona Shelters For Immigrant Kids Could Reopen
The nation's largest provider of shelters for immigrant children is looking to reopen two facilities that the state of Arizona forced it to shutter last year because of issues with employee background checks and allegations of abuse. Southwest Key filed applications to reopen a downtown Phoenix facility that can house 420 children and one in the outer suburbs that can house 139. (8/18)
