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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

New Rule Threatens More Immigrant Family Separations

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Tuesday, August 13, 2019   

NEW YORK — Nutrition and immigrant advocates are condemning a new rule denying green cards to immigrants who have received or might receive needs-based public assistance.

The rule, issued Monday, would force immigrants in families with citizens and legal permanent residents to choose between splitting their family up or removing the entire family from the country. According to Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, that puts everything from food assistance to Medicaid and housing support out of reach.

"It's an impossible choice. It's cruel,” Berg said. “It's counterproductive because it's going to hurt our economy and hurt the ability of people to become economically self-sufficient."

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the rule allows the government to insist that immigrants who come to the country will not be a drain on society. But Berg pointed out immigrants pay payroll taxes, sales tax, real estate taxes and even income taxes, often covering benefits only available to citizens.

"They contribute far more to society overall than they ever take out,” he said. “This has nothing to do with budget savings. This has everything to do with attacking people because they represent a different language or a different skin color."

He added that, on average, immigrants who achieve citizenship have lower poverty rates and higher incomes than native-born Americans.

Berg said he believes the new rule will have a negative impact on the nation's economy by eliminating an important pool of workers.

"People impacted by this are some of the hardest working people in the country in the lowest paid, most dangerous, vital jobs such as looking after our kids and preparing our food,” he said.

Organizations opposed to the new rule have vowed to challenge it in court.


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