MAYOR ELICKER ANNOUNCES THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN JOINS 15 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN OPPOSING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PROPOSED UNLAWFUL CHANGES TO IMMIGRATION RULES

Proposed recission of the Public Charge rule threatens to penalize immigrants for using public benefits and discourages individuals from seeking care.

[NEW HAVEN, CT] - Mayor Justin Elicker announced the City of New Haven has joined with fifteen other local governments across the country in opposing the Trump Administration's proposed rule change to rescind the Public Charge rule - a policy that would make it harder for immigrants to enter or remain in the United States if they use government benefits like Medicaid, food stamps, or housing assistance.

"This proposed rule change is the latest action in President Trump's cruel and immoral campaign against our immigrant community - and we will continue to stand up for our values and fight the federal administration's attempts every step of the way. As enshrined on the Statue of Liberty, the United States has been a beacon of hope and the land of opportunity for the 'tired, poor, and huddled masses.' It is a defining American value - and no individual or immigrant should be penalized because they are down on their luck or need emergency care," said Mayor Elicker. "Not only is it un-American, but it's also just bad public policy. No one should hesitate or be fearful of seeking emergency medical, food or housing assistance to care for themselves or their family. The consequence of this is that cities like New Haven and other cities across the country will have care for individuals when they are experiencing more severe or life-threatening medical issues, hunger, or homelessness. It's completely asinine and backwards."

In November, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Proposed Rule to rescind the 2022 public charge rule established by the Biden Administration and instead allow immigration officers to consider a broad range of factors, which were previously excluded from consideration. DHS has also not proposed replacement regulations that would be subject to a public comment period in an attempt to avoid public comment and scrutiny.

Under the existing rule, a person is considered a "public charge" only if they primarily rely on public benefits - not if they use limited assistance. Food, housing, and most healthcare programs are not included in the assessment. The proposed rule, however, would give immigration officials unrestricted discretion to decide which factors matter in each case. DHS is proposing a change that would allow any use of public assistance for any amount of time - as well as the perceived likelihood of the future use of public benefits - to be considered as part of determining a person's immigration status.

In response, the City of New Haven joined with fifteen other local governments in submitting a comment in opposition to the proposed change and urging DHS to withdraw its changes and follow the law. The comment was submitted on Friday, December 19^th and can be read in full here and also attached.

The action is led by the City of New York and joined by New Haven, Connecticut; Austin, Texas; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Columbus, Office, Ohio; Evanston, Illinois; City and County of San Francisco, California; Los Angeles, California; Oakland, California; Portland, Oregon; Saint Paul, Minneapolis; San Jose, California; San Mateo County, California

To date, the City of New Haven has joined five lawsuits against the Trump Administration, along with joining numerous other amicus briefs.

Press Contacts:

• Lenny Speiller (City of New Haven) | 203-725-4249 ; [email protected]
• Jackie Jena (Public Rights Project) | 917-214-4883 ; [email protected]