Judge George Daniels of the Southern District of New York on Friday blocked the Trump administration’s new public charge rule from going into effect.
New York, Connecticut, Vermont and New York City filed the motion for preliminary injunction on Sept. 9.
The rule makes it harder for immigrants to secure permanent residency and citizenship if they rely on public benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps and housing assistance.
A total of nine public charge lawsuits have been filed by several states and advocacy groups since the administration finalized the rule on Aug. 14. The rule was set to go into effect on Tuesday.
Kenneth Cuccinelli, acting director of the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, said in a press briefing on Aug. 19 that the purpose of enforcing the public charge rule is to ensure immigrants are “self-sufficient.”
Advocates have slammed the rule as discriminatory against low-income communities and people of color.
“The Trump administration’s deliberate attacks to punish immigrants and working class people of color are inhumane and unlawful,” said Javier H. Valdes, co-executive director of advocacy group Make the Road, in a statement. “The courts must act now to protect our legal immigration system and prevent this rule change.”
The New York Attorney General Letitia James tweeted about the victory on Friday.
James said in a statement, “The courts have thwarted the Trump Administration’s attempts to enact rules that violate both our laws and our values, sending a loud and clear message that they cannot rewrite our story to meet their agenda.”
“As long as our communities are under attack from this federal government, we will never stop fighting back.”
