A coalition of California and other liberal-led states sued the Trump administration on Monday over a new rule that bans undocumented immigration, which targets workers and their children who violate federal law and prohibits undocumented immigration, which is prohibited from accessing more than 12 federally funded “public benefits” programs.
President Trump and others in his administration have defended the restrictions necessary to protect services for American citizens, including veterans, and reduce incentives for illegal immigration to the country.
One program facing new restrictions is Head Start. This provided childcare, nutrition and health support to approximately 800,000 low-income infants, young children and preschoolers.
Others include short-term shelters for homeless people, domestic violence survivors and at-risk youth. Emergency shelter for people during extreme weather. A soup kitchen for the elderly, community food banks, and food support services, including wheel meals. Healthcare services for people with mental illness or substance abuse problems. Other adult education programs.
Atty, California. Gen. Rob Bonta has been permitted to expand such programs to undocumented immigrant families since at least 1997, and said the Trump administration’s “sudden reversal of nearly 30 years of precedent” belongs to a “cruel and costly attack on some of the country’s most vulnerable residents.
“This latest salvo in the president’s inhumane immigration campaign follows mostly after Mom and her young children,” Bonta said. “We’re not talking about waste, fraud, or abuse, we’re talking about programs that provide important childcare, medical, nutrition and educational support.
The lawsuit filed by California along with the District of Columbia, along with 19 other states, will cost hundreds of millions of dollars a year, not only will the new restrictions be launched in a “arbitrary and whimsical” way, and not only will they be launched without proper notice to the state.
The Bonta office states, “Requiring programs to spend resources to implement the system and train staff to check the status of citizenship or immigration is to place a burden of time and resources on programs that are already struggling to operate on narrow financial margins.”
He also said the impact of changes in California, with a vast immigrant population compared to other states, would be “catastrophic and immediate.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement Monday that Trump was “elected on his promise to put Americans first. That’s exactly what this administration is doing.”
“Many of our fellow Americans rely on government support and will regain their support by providing funding to the federal government,” Jackson said. “When illegal aliens exploit these resources, it’s at the expense of Americans who desperately need them.”
The state’s claims oppose debates from Trump, his administration, and other anti-immigrants. Extending profits to undocumented immigrants encourages illegal immigration to the country, sacrifices the money of American taxpayers, and makes it difficult for American citizens to receive services.
About a month after taking office, Trump issued an executive order entitled “End Open Border Taxpayer Subsidies,” saying his administration “supports the rule of law, prevents waste of resources for hard-earned taxpayers, and protects benefits for US citizens in need, including disabled and veterans.”
The order called on federal agency directors to implement a drastic review of benefits programs and move to “prevent taxpayer resources from acting as magnets and fueling illegal immigrants to the United States.”
Trump cited the 1996 Personal Liability and Labor Opportunity Settlement Act as providing clear restrictions for non-citizens participating in federal funding programs, denounced past administrations that undermined the “principles and restrictions” of that law.
Past administrators have provided exemptions to the law. That is, by allowing immigrants to access certain “life or safety” programs, it is now subject to new restrictions.
In response to Trump’s orders, various federal agencies, including health and welfare, labor, education and agriculture, issued a notice earlier this month that announced a reinterpretation of the 1996 law.
“For too long, the government has diverted the taxes of hardworking Americans to encourage illegal immigration,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, hardworking American taxpayers will no longer add legislation to allow illegal foreigners to participate in our careers, skills, or adult education programs or activities,” said Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
“By ensuring that these programs serve the intended purpose, we reaffirm this administration’s commitment to protecting good-paid jobs for American workers, ensuring borders and ending illegal immigration,” said Labor Secretary Lori Chavez Delemer.
The Agriculture Department also said it would apply new restrictions on undocumented immigrant benefits, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. However, the state lawsuit states that “many USDA programs are subject to independent legal requirements to provide a specific benefit program to everyone regardless of citizenship.”
Participating in filing the lawsuit was the Attorney General of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, New York, Oregon, Road Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Washington, Washington, Road Island, Road Island, New York, Road Island, and Massachusetts.
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