Thread by @doug_rand

It's a good thing that @RepJayapal & other members of Congress compelled @USCIS to issue this statement, but it's still fatally inadequate.

1st, the number of people who will be reassured by this dense & internally contradictory statement is about 0.
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https://twitter.com/Haleaziz/status/1238638769642717184

We know that millions of people—including US citizens—have *already* avoided public health services well before the public charge rule was actually implemented, based on misplaced fears intentionally propagated by this administration.

@urbaninstitute:
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urban.org/urban-wire/pub…

Our current #Covid_19 public health crisis demands that the administration completely suspend all of its #PublicCharge rules: DHS, State Dept, & the one still looming from DOJ.

Anything less will lead to preventable suffering and death.

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Also, even @USCIS's current #COVID_19 alert, however inadequate, isn't remotely being shouted from the rooftops.

So far not even a press release, let alone a public education campaign.

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uscis.gov/news/all-news

(True fact: USCIS recently demoted its Public Engagement function, which is now overseen by a former aide to Rep. Goodlatte, who is not what you'd call pro-immigrant.)

via @UNITEDWEDREAM:
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unitedwedream.org/2018/03/goodla…

I hope that many many other members of Congress, including Republicans, make common cause with @RepJayapal to demand that @USCIS, @StateDept, & @TheJusticeDept immediately & loudly suspend all #PublicCharge policies that are worsening the #Covid_19 crisis.

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