Chu's bill would prevent federal dollars from going to Trump's 'public charge' proposal

TWITTER / JUDY CHU

Rep. Judy Chu at a press conference to introduce her bill.

A bill was introduced Wednesday (June 12) intended to stop in its tracks, a proposal by the Trump administration to deny visas and deport immigrants or green card holders if they use U.S. public assistance.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, introduced H.R. 7052, the No Federal Funds for Public Charge Act, to prevent any federal funds from being used to implement Donald Trump’s proposed “public charge” rule. The rule, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on September 22, 2018, greatly expands the list of programs that could be considered when an immigrant is applying for a green card. 

The rule change could cause individuals to disenroll from public benefits like nutrition assistance and healthcare out of fear it could make it more difficult to be reunited with loved ones, even though many of these immigrants have a legal right to these services to which they contribute through their taxes. 

“The so-called ‘public charge’ rule is a blight," said Chu in a press conference by the Congressional Tri-Caucus – composed of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) – and the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC).

“In one of the more outrageous, callous, and openly xenophobic proposals of this administration,"

She continued to say that Trump and Stephen Miller devised an "immigration policy that would leave hungry children behind while doing nothing to address our country’s real immigration challenges at all. As always, their approach to immigration starts and ends at attacking and isolating immigrants."

Doreena Wong, Health Access Project Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles said: "This expansion of the public charge provision is concerning because of its potential disproportionate impact on communities of color. Not only has it already cast a chilling effect on immigrant families, but it seeks to fundamentally transform our immigration system, shifting away from the long-standing priority of reunifying families from diverse parts of the world to privileging the white and the wealthy."

If the Trump proposal is implemented, it would dismantle family-based immigration and undo longstanding policies. The proposed rule threatens to deny immigrant families the opportunity to obtain a green card or enter the U.S. if they participate in benefit programs offered by the government, such as critical health care, housing assistance food support or early childhood education. 

Opponents like Chu and immigration advocates say the proposed rule targets immigrant community members who are low-income, have limited English proficiency, or have disabilities. 

It would have a devastating impact on visa applicants from Asia, now millions of our community members.

"It creates two distinct classes of taxpayers, creating an unfair “pay-to-play” system," said Chu. "Benefits like SNAP are proven at reducing poverty and improving future achievement, but now, Trump is trying to stigmatize the program – and others like it –so that immigrants will be afraid to use it. Immigrants are our neighbors and co-workers, and play a vital role in our communities. This proposed rule only makes their lives more difficult solely based on where they were born. 

"It is a hateful policy devoid of merit or morality and not one dollar of federal money should be used to implement it, should it become finalized. I’m proud that so many of my colleagues have joined me to stop Trump’s attempt to weaponize federal policy in his hateful war on immigrants,” Chu continued.

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