U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii introduced legislation to block the Trump administration’s controversial “public charge” rule.
The rule would classify immigrants who use safety net programs like food stamps or Medicaid as public charges. The rule would use that classification to deny visas, green cards and citizenship requests. Some immigrants could face deportation.
Blumenthal says the rule is meant to further Trump’s xenophobic agenda, not to reduce public spending.
“Fear, cruelty, brutality. That’s this administration’s approach to immigration. And as a result of these policies, we will be a smaller and a lesser nation. The immigrants that this rule seeks to bar from this country are potentially the sources of scientists and teachers and doctors in a nation that thrives on diversity.”
Twenty states, including Connecticut and New York, have sued the federal government to block the public charge rule. The rule is set to go into effect next month.
