Pols: ‘Public charge’ rule is ‘ruthless and callous’
President Donald Trump’s new policy will give his administration broad leeway to reject legal immigrants who use government benefits to feed, house or obtain medical
care. Courtesy of the White House
BY BILL PARRY
The Queens lawmaker
representing Jackson Heights
— a neighborhood where nearly
200 foreign languages are
spoken and immigrant rights
rallies are held at Diversity
Plaza — is railing against
the Trump administration’s
plan to bar immigrants who
have benefitted from public
assistance from attaining
U.S. citizenship.
Councilman Daniel
Dromm ripped the new “public
charge” rule that allows the
government to reject green
cards and visas for individuals
who are found likely to
depend on public programs
such as food stamps, housing
assistance and Medicaid.
“Poverty should never
be a barrier to attaining
citizenship. The United
States has a long history of
welcoming the poor,” Dromm
said. “Inscribed in our very
own Statue of Liberty are the
indelible words, ‘Give me your
tired, your poor, your huddled
masses yearning to breathe
free.’ Our nation stands to
lose a lot by this rule. We must
never turn our backs on the
economically distressed. As an
elected official representing
one of the most immigrant
rich districts in New York,
I will continue to do all that
is in my power to fight back
against this terrible rule.”
Dromm’s not alone
in critiquing the Trump
administration in thinking of
this new immigration policy
as being “un-American.”
Congresswoman Grace
Meng has been fighting
against the new policy since
it was first proposed last year
saying it would have dire
consequences for immigrants
communities like Flushing
where families would be
forced to choose between
maintaining their legal status
and daily necessities such as
food, healthcare and housing.
“President Trump’s
public charge rule is another
ruthless and callous attack
on immigrant communities.
This cruel and un-American
plan penalizes those who
are in the U.S. legally,”
Meng said. “Just recently,
we witnessed immigrants
being targeted and gunned
down, and President Trump’s
raids separating children
from their parents. Now the
president wants to weaponize
basic human services to
continue his assault against
immigrants.”
When the rule change was
first announced last year it
received more than 200,000
public comments online and
the majority were against the
policy that will go into effect
Oct. 15.
“Over the last year, I have
urged the president to not
implement this inhumane
policy and today I call on
him to abandon this reckless
effort,” Meng added. “Hard
working immigrants enrich
our communities and
contribute to our economy and
nation. We cannot allow them
to be kicked to the curb by
this president.”
Hours after the new policy
was announced Monday,
New York State Attorney
General Letitia James called
the policy one more example
of the White House turning
its back on people fighting to
make a better life for them and
their families.
“Under this rule, children
will go hungry; families will
go without medical care,”
James said. “I am committed
to defending all of New York’s
communities, which is why
I intend to sue the Trump
Administration over this
egregious rule.”
At City Hall, the Mayor’s
Office of Immigrant Affairs is
preparing to help immigrants
navigate the legal minefield.
“If you are worried or
have questions about how this
‘public charge’ could impact
you and your loved ones. You
can callActionNYC at 311 or
1-800-354-0365 and say ‘public
charge’ to access city-funded,
trusted legal advice,” MOIA
Commissioner Bitta Mostofi
said. “The city is here to help
you make the right decision
for you and your family.”
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by email at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
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