Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., ripped into President Trump’s “public charge” immigration policy on Tuesday, arguing it amounts to a “wealth test” for admission to the United States.
The progressive Democrat was responding to news that the Supreme Court upheld the president’s rule, which would deny permanent residency or entry into the United States to certain immigrants considered likely to use government assistance.
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“This is shameful,” the New York congresswoman tweeted on Monday. “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,” she added.
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On Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez received a wave of pushback as her tweet seemed to imply that avoiding government assistance was an unfair condition for entering the United States.
The 5-4 vote by the court’s conservative majority reversed a lower court decision that kept it from being implemented while legal challenges in other states proceeded. The rule was published in August and would give the government more power to deny visas or green cards if it believes immigrants will rely on public assistance such as food stamps and taxpayer-funded health care benefits or housing programs.
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The Trump administration has defended the rule as a way to ensure immigrants remain financially self-sufficient. Critics say it is designed to limit the number of poor immigrants who enter the country.
The rule, announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in August, defines a “public charge” as an immigrant who received one or more designated benefits for more than 12 months within a 36-month period. Those benefits that would be designated included Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), as well as most forms of Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.
Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
