Call Rule “Cruel, Racist, and Patently Unlawful”

August 12, 2019, New York – In response to the Department of Homeland Security’s publication of a new regulation, “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds,” the Center for Constitutional Rights issued the following statement:

“The new Public Charge Rule is a cruel, racist, and patently unlawful attempt by the Trump administration to overhaul the immigration system by closing access to lawful status to all but well-off and white immigrants. It is a direct attack on the safety of the immigrant families who may use social services, such as Medicaid, to survive and who will be chilled from obtaining crucial assistance for fear of losing their chance at status. The Rule targets beneficiaries of family-based petitions and undermines the intent of the immigration statute as well as decades of precedent.

“The Public Charge Rule violates the Immigration and Nationality Act and upends decades of precedent allowing eligible immigrants to adjust to lawful status even if they have a financial sponsor, are still learning English, or need medical insurance for health needs. It gives the lie to the Trump Administration’s claim that their hateful policies are targeting only unauthorized immigration. Instead, it’s clear that Stephen Miller, Ken Cuccinelli, and other administration officials will take extreme measures to realize their vision of closed borders, even more barriers to lawful status, and a whiter America. In collaboration with local partners, we plan to challenge this cruel attack on immigrant families in court.”