Court Paves Way for Trump Administration to Deny Legal Status to Immigrants Deemed Public Charges

The Trump administration has received a green light to deny permanent residency to immigrants considered a ‘public charge’.

This comes after a federal appeals court on Tuesday reversed a lower court’s ruling that blocked the government from implementing regulations that make it hard for immigrants who receive various types of government support to get legal status.

The ruling issued by a three-judge bench of the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals limits the scope of the lower court’s injunction to Connecticut, New York, and Vermont.

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security introduced new rules that increased the number of government support programs that would disqualify a beneficiary for a green card and a path to citizenship.

The policy states that immigrants who are legally in the US are deemed “public charges” if they rely on any of the benefits or are likely to use such assistance in the future.

Immigration advocacy groups have argued that the public charge rule would make immigrants hesitant to seek crucial services such as medical treatment, food stamps, and housing assistance.