Press Releases
04/29/2020
Attorney General Tong Continues Fight to Stop Public Charge Rule
Coalition Asks District Court to Temporarily Halt Rule as Coronavirus Rages On
(Hartford, CT) -- Attorney General William Tong joined New York, Vermont and New York City in filing a motion asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to temporarily halt implementation of the Trump Administration’s Public Charge Rule in light of the COVID-19 public health crisis.Earlier this month, the coalition filed a motion urging the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit implementation of the Public Charge Rule in light of the COVID-19 public health crisis. The U.S. Supreme Court last Friday chose not to act in the matter itself but ruled that the plaintiffs could seek such relief from the district court. The coalition took that action today in filing a new motion last night seeking a preliminary injunction with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
“Every person needs access to health care right now. While we had hoped that the U.S. Supreme Court would see the immediate need to halt the rule, the court affirmed our right to request this relief from the lower court. We are taking that action now to protect public health and our economy,” said Attorney General Tong.
The Public Charge rule allows the federal government to deny green cards and visa renewals to immigrants who are deemed likely to use government assistance programs, including health care programs like Medicaid. The rule is a scheme to deter legal immigrants and their families from seeking access to the medical care, healthy food and safe housing they are lawfully eligible to receive.
Connecticut is part of a multistate coalition actively participating in a legal challenge to the rule, which went into effect nationwide in February after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a temporary injunction blocking implementation. Nearly 200,000 Connecticut residents are now in danger of losing access to services like food assistance, Medicaid, and Section 8 housing vouchers.
Of note in the motion is the fact that immigrants make up a large number of essential workers helping move our nation along during this crisis.
“[B]y deterring immigrants from accessing publicly funded healthcare, including programs that would enable immigrants to obtain testing and treatment for COVID-19, the Rule makes it more likely that immigrants will suffer serious illness if infected and spread the virus inadvertently to others — risks that are heightened because immigrants make up a large proportion of the essential workers who continue to interact with the public,” the motion argues. In short, “the Rule is undermining efforts to slow the spread of the virus.”
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Media Contact:
Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov
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