By Nelson A. King
New York Attorney General
Letitia James, as part of a coalition
of 20 attorneys general,
on Wednesday fought to defend
the rights of immigrant children
held in civil detention centers
around the country by the
Trump administration.
James said that the coalition
filed an amicus brief in support
of the children who are plaintiffs
in Flores v. Barr — a case involving
the Trump administration’s
attempts to terminate the Flores
Settlement Agreement, which
has governed the treatment of
children in immigration custody
since 1997.
In the amicus brief, the coalition
urges the U. Court of
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
to uphold an earlier permanent
injunction issued by the US
District Court for the Central
New York State Attorney General, Letitia James.
Associated Press / Richard Drew
District of California, preventing
the federal government from
keeping children in prolonged
and unnecessary detention.
“The Trump administration’s
Caribbean L 22 ife, Jan. 31-Feb. 6, 2020
illegal and immoral efforts
to lock children in cages is a
shameful and appalling action
that should strike a nerve with
every person in this country,”
James said.
“All of us, regardless of
national origin, deserve to be
treated with basic dignity, but
the president continues to use
immigrants, including young
children, as political pawns
in his twisted game of chess,”
she added. “Regardless of
one’s nation of origin, all people
deserve to be treated with
decency, which is why our coalition
will continue our fight to
stop the Trump administration’s
cruel, inhumane, and xenophobic
actions.”
James
leads fight
to protect
children
Public charge ruling
“It is disturbing to witness a
global leader toying with people’s
lives, and we must not stop
fighting until Donald Trump is
removed from office,” continued
Clarke, a very ardent critic of
Trump’s immigration policies.
In early October, Clarke had
welcomed temporary injunctions
by US federal judges in
three states blocking the Trump
administration’s public charge
rule against issuing green cards
for Caribbean and other immigrants.
The judges in New York,
California and Washington had
issued the temporary injunctions
against the rule that would
make it more difficult for Caribbean
and other immigrants to
get green cards if they appear
to be needing public assistance,
such as financial aid, healthcare,
food stamps and housing
assistance.
Several legislators and immigration
advocates had filed legal
challenges to Trump’s “Inadmissibility
on Public Charge
Grounds” rule.
“The rule is simply a new
agency policy of exclusion in
search of a justification,” wrote
Justice George B. Daniels, of
the Southern District of New
York, stating that the plaintiffs
— five organizations that
work to aid Caribbean and other
immigrants, as well as New York
State, New York City, Connecticut
and Vermont — are highly
likely to be triumphant in
their claims against the Trump
administration.
“It is repugnant to the American
Dream of the opportunity
for prosperity and success
through hard work and upward
mobility,” added Justice Daniels
about the public charge rule.
“Immigrants have always come
to this country seeking a better
life for themselves and their
posterity. With or without help,
most succeed.”
In September, Clarke had
joined members of the United
States Congressional Tri-
Caucus – which includes the
Congressional Hispanic Caucus
(CHC), Congressional Black
Caucus (CBC) and Congressional
Asian Pacific American
Caucus (CAPAC) – in filing amicus
briefs opposing the public
charge rule aimed at legal Caribbean
and other immigrants
who wish to remain in the US
but whose dearth of financial
resources are deemed likely to
make them a burden on US
taxpayers.
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