SCOTUS has lifted the nationwide injunction against administration's "public charge" rule. Even before the rule was finalized, though, it had a chilling effect on take-up of benefits that immigrants and their U.S.-citizen children are legally entitled to: pbs.org/newshour/show/…
Confusion and fear about being penalized for children's use of benefits is likely one reason why share of kids who are uninsured has been rising.
The administration has said it only wants immigrants who can prove they're self-sufficient, have no need of benefits, contribute to the US economy, etc. Three points about that.
1) Legal immigrants use federal public benefit programs at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens. (Unauthorized immigrants are ineligible for almost all safety-net programs.) cato.org/sites/cato.org…
2) Immigrants & their families are a net fiscal boon to the country. That is, they pay more in federal taxes than they get in benefits. Immigrants’ children—the 2nd generation—are among the strongest economic and fiscal contributors in the U.S. population nap.edu/read/23550/cha…
3) If Trump *actually* wants to encourage economic self-sufficiency among immigrants, why is he trying to make it harder for large categories of immigrants to work, including by delaying how long asylum-seekers must wait to qualify for work permits? cbsnews.com/news/new-trump…
On the one hand the administration is saying, we only want immigrants who can "stand on their own two feet" (per Cuccinelli's Statue of Liberty addendum); on the other hand, sorry, you're not allowed to use your feet at all
