Donald Trump’s fierce immigration designer and overseer Stephen Miller released his worst impulses on people seeking refuse from murder, poverty, and gang violence. Miller is the one who came up with tearing nursing children away from their mothers and caging the little ones in conditions as bad as those at Guantanamo Bay.
The judicial system has come to the refugees’ aid more than once. Miller’s latest diabolic plan was for immigrants to come with proof of health insurance, according to The Washington Post. Without that documentation, they could not obtain a visa.
The order required immigrants to prove they would be able to buy health insurance within a month of coming into the U.S. Clearly, Trump’s new policy would favor wealthy immigrants. Both immigration and health experts claimed that this edict would hurt low-income immigrants who had not come for work that offered them health care benefits.
Another disadvantage was that immigrants could not anticipate an illness and the resulting medical costs. Even immigrants who qualified for a federal tax subsidy that would assist them in purchasing health insurance via the Obamacare individual market had a problem. The Trump plan would force them to reject that money. Apparently, the ACA website did not include an option for these people.
One day before the new immigration policy was set to go in to effect, Portland, Oregon U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon issued a temporary restraining order. Seven U.S. citizens and the nonprofit Latino Network brought the lawsuit against the administration’s new policy. In his restraining order, Simon wrote that they demonstrated that:
‘[Immigrants] are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of temporary relief, that the balance of hardships tips sharply toward Plaintiffs, and temporary relief is in the public interest.’
According to the Migration Policy Institute. Trump’s plan would limit about 375,000 immigrants seeking entry on a yearly basis. It primarily affected family-based immigrants, who have been the green-card holders.
As a result, seven U.S. citizens and the nonprofit organization Latino Network brought the lawsuit against Trump’s administration. The judge’s order will remain valid for another 28 days. That would give both sides time to collect and present additional evidence.
Trump criticized the restraining order this weekend and claimed that the president did, indeed, have the right to make these changes.
Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham released a statement that read
‘It is wrong and unfair for a single district court judge to thwart the policies that the President determined would best protect the United States healthcare system. The Administration looks forward to the opportunity to make its defense in court.’
Three organizations that brought the case worked pro bono: the Justice Action Center, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the Innovation Law Lab. They worked with Sidley Austin and celebrated the decision, but they noted that the case was far from over.
Executive Director of Latino Network also released a statement. It read:
‘Today’s decision highlights the urgency of blocking this health care ban before it causes irreparable damage to our community and those we serve. We know that our fight is far from over, we will be steadfast in our work to ensure that we end family separation, ensure the dignity and rights of our community are respected, and hold this administration accountable to our nation’s constitution.’
The White House’s proclamation was put out after a series of organizations’ lawsuits tried to block the president’s “public charge” rule. It would have caused immigrants seeking green cards a more arduous attempt should they need federal assistance, i.e., food stamps or Medicaid. Last month, that rule was halted before it went into effect.
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
