A federal court in Chicago on Monday blocked a Trump administration policy set to kick in this week that would withhold green cards from immigrants who receive public benefits in areas such as housing and health care.
The court issued an injunction temporarily blocking the “public charge” rule, which creates hurdles to legal residency for immigrants who receive public benefits or are seen as likely to receive them.
The measure comes after nationwide injunctions were issued Friday by federal judges in New York and Washington.
The ruling comes in Illinois following a lawsuit filed last month by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights seeking to block the policy in Illinois.
The lawsuit stated: “If allowed to go into effect, the Final Rule will have a chilling effect upon immigrant communities, causing individuals to forgo critical public benefits—an impact that will cause devastating, irreparable harm to children, families, and public health in Cook County and throughout Illinois.”
The policy, widely criticized as a way to target and keep out poor immigrants, was set to take effect Tuesday.
In a news release issued Monday, Foxx said: “Tonight’s ruling is a victory for immigrant families. The public charge rule change would have imposed real and irreparable harm to Cook County and the people who call it home.”
