Court right to block public charge

To the editor:

The Workers Circle applauds the decision of the Southern District Court in New York that halts the dangerous public charge policy, temporarily, as our nation continues to battle a deadly pandemic. This pause means immigrants can access the health care and social services they need for themselves and their families without fear, strengthening public health for all.

The Trump administration has relentlessly and viciously pursued policies that jeopardize the health and safety of immigrant families, terrorizing immigrant communities across the nation for the last four years. The administration’s expansion of the public charge rule has caused well-documented confusion among immigrants, impeding their access to critical services to which they are legally entitled.

Thanks to the court’s decision, during the pandemic, immigrants will no longer have these benefits weaponized against them.

Still, this injunction only provides temporary respite. Our organization remains committed to a future in which the public charge rule is eliminated once and for all.

America is better off when all immigrants, regardless of socioeconomic status, are welcomed for their myriad contributions to our economy and society.

The Workers Circle will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with immigrant communities in the fight to remove the public charge language from the Immigration and Nationality Act for good.

Ann Toback

The author is the chief executive of the Workers Circle, a Jewish social justice organization.

Have an opinion? Share your thoughts as a letter to the editor. Make your submission to letters@riverdalepress.com. Please include your full name, phone number (for verification purposes only), and home address (which will not be published). The Riverdale Press maintains an open submission policy, and stated opinions do not necessarily represent the publication.