New Challenges

[Randy W]

from the Miami Herald

 

 

With the new public charge rule approaching, a dozen immigration forms have changed

 

the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a policy alert on Wednesday with some of the highlights of the new guidance.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a DHS agency, also published the revised forms of 12 immigration processes impacted by the new rule — one of the harshest immigration policies targeting low-income immigrants who receive public benefits

. . .

Some of the policy changes highlighted on Wednesday include a definition of the term “public charge,” as well as the types of public benefits that are considered in public charge inadmissibility determinations, which block an immigrant’s path to permanent resident status.

[eseum]

So I started reading In The Garden Of Beasts, by Erik Larson. It's about Germany in 1933, and the American ambassador and his family. Interestingly I didn't get that far into the book when he mentions the "notorious LPC clause" in the Immigration Act of 1917. It was reinstated by Hoover in 1930 to discourage immigration due to the Depression. Public charge was also used to limit those considered to be of low type (read blatant discrimination) at the time, i.e.Jews, Russians, etc. It turned out to be particularly onerous for those of Jewish decent once Hitler came to power. It was argued that having Jews get police affidavits swearing to their good character from the Nazis could (did) put them in danger. In addition, since many Jews were not allowed to work, or had their assets seized, it was hard for them to show they wouldn't fail the public charge requirement. It had a direct impact on the number of Jews that could leave Germany for America.

[Randy W]

from the WSJ - updated 4/25/2020

 

High Court Rejects Plea to Block Trump Immigration Rule During Pandemic

WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court rejected Friday pleas from liberal-leaning states and local governments to block a Trump administration policy that penalizes immigrants for seeking public benefits during the coronavirus pandemic.

The two-sentence order, unsigned and with no dissents noted, left open the possibility of further action on the matter in district court.

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James said she would pursue that route.

 

. . .

 

In response, the Justice Department told the court Wednesday it already was taking steps to apply the public-charge rule in light of the coronavirus emergency. “The government will exclude from consideration the receipt of any public benefits related to COVID-19 care—including testing, treatment, preventive care, and vaccinations—when making public-charge inadmissibility determinations,” the department’s brief said, and emergency services funded by Medicaid never were included in the calculus.

 

Additionally, DHS “considers the receipt of public benefits as only one consideration among a number of factors and considerations in the totality of the alien’s circumstances over a period of time with no single factor being outcome determinative,” the government said.

Edited April 25, 2020 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Allon]

"Give me your poor....."

[eseum]

This past Thursday the DHS filed with the Federal Register to remove the Public Charge Rule, instated by the Trump Administration, permanently.