Federal appeals court rules against the Trump administration’s public charge rule
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ruled against the Trump administration’s controversial “public charge” rule that critics say has a chilling effect on immigrants who may need to seek medical assistance, marking the latest blow against the regulation.
The rule makes it more difficult for immigrants to obtain legal status if they use public benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers. It immediately met pushback, and was subsequently blocked by courts, following its release.
In Wednesday’s 2-1 ruling, the Ninth Circuit concluded that the rule causes financial harm to states and doesn’t promote self-sufficiency as the administration has suggested. The panel also argued that the administration failed to explain the abrupt change in policy.