Baltimore Files First-In-Nation Suit Against Trump’s ‘Public Charge’ Policy, Citing Chilling Effect Its Had On City’s Immigrants
Because of the policy that expands the definition of public charge to immigrants receiving government aid, legal residents have stopped using school programs, food subsidies, housing vouchers and health clinics for which they are eligible, the city's lawsuit says. It hurts Baltimore's mission to welcome immigrants and increases long-term expenses as Baltimore deals with a sicker and less-educated community, according to officials.
The Associated Press:
Baltimore Sues Trump Administration Over Immigration Policy
Baltimore filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday against the Trump administration alleging that "unlawful" efforts altering a State Department policy are restricting visa applicants and deterring law-abiding immigrants from claiming public assistance. In its lawsuit, Baltimore asserts the U.S. State Department earlier this year quietly expanded its definition of "public charge" — someone the United States deems likely to be primarily dependent on government aid. (McFadden, 11/28)
The Washington Post:
Baltimore Sued The Trump Administration Over Efforts To Withhold Visas For Immigrants Who Use Public Benefits
“They’re giving up government-supported health care, they’re giving up free school lunches, they’re giving up food stamps, they’re not applying for housing,” said City Solicitor Andre M. Davis, a former federal judge. “It’s a noncash public benefit that people are abandoning so they don’t lose the opportunity for themselves or their family to get a visa.” (Cox, 11/28)
CNN:
Baltimore Sues Trump Admin Over Immigrants' Access To Benefits
"The Trump Administration's changes to (a State Department manual) put a thumb on the scale in favor of barring immigrants from the country if they have used any of a host of federal, state or local programs -- making it much harder for immigrants to reunite with their families," the lawsuit reads. The suit names President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the State Department as defendants, and it charges the administration with violating the Constitution's equal protection guarantees. (Watkins, 11/28)
In other immigration news —
The Associated Press Fact Check:
Entire Trump Tweet On Immigrant Aid Is Wrong
President Donald Trump is spreading a false claim from supporters that people who are in the United States illegally receive more in federal assistance than the average American gets in Social Security benefits. Everything about the tweet he passed on to his 56 million listed Twitter followers Tuesday is wrong. (Woodward, 11/29)
The Associated Press:
Texas Ruling May Allow Licensing Of Migrant Family Detention
A Texas appeals court's ruling Wednesday could allow state authorities to formally license two detention centers that house thousands of immigrant families, something advocates warn might lead to the unlimited detention of migrant children. Two facilities in the South Texas cities of Karnes and Dilley have the capacity to detain roughly 3,500 parents and children. Under federal court rulings, the government is required to release children from Karnes or Dilley quickly because the facilities aren't licensed by a state or local government. That effectively leads to the faster release of many parents as well. (11/28)
Reveal:
At Tornillo Tent City, Shrouded In Secrecy, Few Have Access To Migrant Children
Months after the government erected a tent city in the desert, most of what happens inside the encampment remains hidden, even from curious neighbors in the nearby town of 1,600 residents. The only images of the minors in the camp, standing outside in an orderly line or playing soccer, have been released by the Department of Health and Human Services. (Morel and Michels, 11/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Return Possible For Oakland Nurse Whose Deportation Split Family
A woman whose case drew national attention last year when immigration officials tore her from her children and her job as a nurse in Oakland and deported her to Mexico has a chance to beat the odds and return to the Bay Area, thanks to a lottery drawing and a recommendation from a U.S. consular officer. The final decision, though, is in the hands of a Trump administration immigration agency. (Egelko, 11/28)
