New York and Chicago led a coalition of 32 cities against the Trump administration’s proposal to change the public charge rule.
The coalition of cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors argued that the proposal by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) violates federal laws including the Administrative Procedures Act (APA). They also called the proposed public charge rule “cruel.”
In their comment, they argued that the proposal “would have wide-ranging and devastating effects on the health and financial stability of immigrants and their families, including U.S. citizens.”
In addition, the coalition noted that the proposed public charge rule is targeting immigrants that “resided, worked, and payed taxes in the United States and the signatory cities for years.”
Furthermore, they stressed that the proposal violates the APA because it contradicts the statutory meaning of public charge. The definition of public charge has “existed for over a hundred years” and “embodied in both immigration law and policy.” It violates APA because it is “arbitrary and capricious.” The DHS failed to properly consider its economic impact on local and state governments as well as on families.
Proposed public charge rule is “nothing less than a public disgrace”
In a statement, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, said, “We strongly oppose yet another cruel policy coming out of the White House. This proposed rule, if finalized, could force working New Yorkers to choose between enrolling in public benefits they have a legal right to and staying in the country legally.”
