Outrage erupted Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration’s so-called public charge rule—a policy its critics call “a racist wealth test”— to stand.
The vote (pdf) was 5-4, with all five conservatives in the majority, to grant the administration’s request for the rule to be implemented even as it faces challenges in lower courts.
“This is shameful,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Twitter. “America shouldn’t have a wealth test for admission. It’s a place where millions of people are descendants of immigrants who came w nothing & made a life. The American Dream isn’t a private club with a cover charge—it’s the possibility of remaking your future.”
The rule, pushed by White House senior adviser and white nationalist Stephen Miller, was immediately met with immediate criticism when it was first rolled out. As CBS News reported:
“The rule also allows immigrants to be declared a ‘public charge’ and denied green cards even if they are employed,” The Hill noted.
A federal judge in October issued an injunction blocking the rule from going into effect and called it “repugnant to the American Dream.” The Trump administration asked the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to lift the injunction but was rebuffed. The administration then took its effort to the high court, resulting in Monday’s ruling. The ruling does not apply to Illinois, which is covered by a separate injunction.
The immigration rights attorneys fighting the policy remained undeterred in their effort.
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