Washington, DC – On Tuesday, responding to requests from the Biden administration, the United States Supreme Court and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed cases regarding Trump-era changes to the “public charge” rule, which made it more difficult for immigrants to obtain Lawful Permanent Resident status if they use certain public benefits, such as food stamps, housing assistance, or Medicaid. Following the dismissals, a final judgment entered in the Northern District of Illinois is back in effect. This means the rule is permanently blocked nationwide.
“This is welcome news, and we are eager to see how the Biden administration continues to prioritize the health and well-being of immigrant communities,” said National Health Law Program senior attorney Priscilla Huang. “But there is still work to be done. Trump’s public charge rule and its chilling effect have exacerbated immigrants’ fear of accessing health services at the same time that the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately harming immigrant communities.”
“It will take years to rebuild trust within immigrant communities,” said staff attorney Sarah Grusin. “There are also still challenges to other harmful immigration policies working their way through the courts. This fight is far from over.”
