Trump's Green Card Wealth Test Wins Brief Reprieve in Court
Trump's Green Card Wealth Test May Dodge Nationwide Injunction
(Bloomberg) -- A Trump administration policy aimed at denying legal status to immigrants who receive most kinds of public assistance survived its first court showdown without being immediately derailed.
But the reprieve may be short-lived given that a federal judge indicated Wednesday she’s open to temporarily blocking the new rule from going into effect in at least part of the U.S.
The challenge to so-called public charge rule was filed by four states, two California counties and immigrant rights’ advocacy groups that all contend it conflicts with existing immigration laws and would drive up the cost of providing health care and other services to immigrants. Similar cases are pending in other courts.
At a hearing, U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton signaled some support for the rule’s opponents but scolded them for failing to detail how it would cause harm in all 50 states.
“You have not in my view provided a satisfactory argument on why there should be a nationwide injunction," the judge said.
Hamilton encouraged attorneys to try to craft a narrower injunction and said it must be filed with her by Monday morning so that she can rule by next week.
To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Burnson in San Francisco at rburnson@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Peter Blumberg
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