This archive report was first published on 12 October 2019.
On October 11, 2019, a federal judge in New York temporarily blocked the Trump administration's 'public charge' rule, just days before it was set to take effect.
The rule aimed to deny green cards to immigrants who receive public benefits such as food stamps and housing vouchers, or those likely to receive them in the future.
However, Judge George B. Daniels of the Southern District of New York ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, including five non-profit organizations and the city and states of New York and Connecticut.
According to Judge Daniels, the rule was 'simply a new agency policy of exclusion in search of a justification.'
He added, "It is repugnant to the American Dream of the opportunity for prosperity and success through hard work and upward mobility. Immigrants have always come to this country seeking a better life for themselves and their posterity. With or without help, most succeed."
Immigration advocates celebrated the judge's ruling, calling it a major defeat for the Trump administration's 'racist wealth test' on the immigration system.
