Washington, D.C. — Today, the Trump administration released its long-threatened public charge rule that would reverse decades of long-standing precedent by disqualifying immigrants applying for permanent residency or from getting a visa to come to the United States. In response, Philip E. Wolgin, managing director of Immigration Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Just a week after a terrorist attack in which a white supremacist killed 22 people in El Paso and specifically targeted the Latino community, the Trump administration has launched its most radical attempt yet to harm immigrant families and further its anti-immigrant agenda. This latest attempt to harm immigrants comes on the heels of three years of anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions from the president, who has worked to normalize hate in the United States. In El Paso, we saw the painful consequences of this climate of hate.
Today’s action illustrates that the Trump administration will stop at nothing to attack immigrants and people struggling to make ends meet. But the public charge rule is a new low, even for the president and Stephen Miller, the chief architect of his anti-immigration policy. This rule directly targets children, LGBTQ individuals, people seeking medical care, and people with disabilities, among others. In all, it could potentially affect millions of families.
This rule prioritizes money over family and tells immigrants that if they want to achieve the American dream, they’d better do it before they get here. Just like the administration’s policy of separating families and putting children in cages at the border, the public charge proposal is unquestionably cruel and goes against our fundamental values as a nation.
For more information or to speak to an expert, please contact Julia Cusick at [email protected] or 202-495-3682.