BATON ROUGE – Late Saturday night, the Trump administration proposed a radical change to the rules for legal immigration. The new rules would value the contents of immigrants’ bank accounts over the contents of their character when they apply for citizenship. The proposed change to the longstanding “public charge” rule would force immigrant families on the path to citizenship to choose between receiving assistance to keep their families healthy and adequately fed or forfeiting that assistance to keep their families together in the United States.
“This proposal is reckless, unfair and inconsistent with our nation’s values. It places wealth over family and would imperil children in our state,” Louisiana Budget Project Executive Director Jan Moller said. “This latest attack on immigrants is a cynical attempt by the Trump administration to scapegoat immigrants once again just in time for the midterm elections.”
The Migration Policy Institute estimates that there are 61,000 children with immigrant parents in Louisiana. Under the proposed rule, those families could be prevented from obtaining lawful immigration status for using an array of health care supports, nutrition assistance or other services.
It is important to note that these changes cannot take effect until the administration reviews and responds to public comment. During the upcoming 60-day comment period, organizations and individuals may submit their questions and comments about the proposed rule to the Department of Homeland Security.
To learn more about the Trump administration’s proposed rule change, please visit www.protectimmigrantfamilies.org.