September 24, 2018
For Immediate Release
Email: Info@undocublack.org
A proposed rule change by the Trump administration egregiously redefines longstanding guidelines on “public charge”. This racist and xenophobic regulation demonizes and punishes immigrants who may access support, fulfilling nutrition, health and housing needs.
Washington, DC - On Saturday night, the Trump administration announced a new proposed rule that would dramatically change the admissibility of immigrants to become lawful, permanent residents in the United States. The egregious rule is careless and will destabilize immigrants and their families if they or their families may need several life-sustaining health, housing, nutrition, and other assistance.
UndocuBlack Network’s co-founder and director, Jonathan Jayes-Green says, “This ruling effectively criminalizes parents and immigrants for feeding, housing and caring for themselves and their families. It is one of the vilest demonstrations of white supremacy from this administration that wants to radically reduce the number of legal immigrants - particularly Black and brown immigrants - entering this country for years to come. It is another attempt to radically reshape the makeup of this country. As people who believe in justice and freedom, we must fight it until the end.
Below is the official statement from the UndocuBlack Network:
“This recently announced proposed rule change will demonize and exempt immigrants from achieving permanent residency for participation in nutrition, health, housing and other assistance programs. It is the cruelest Donald Trump proposal yet and solidifies what we knew all along: this administration is invested in destroying Black and brown communities.
This proposal, like other Stephen Miller White House policies like the Muslim Ban, ending DACA and TPS, has the same racist and xenophobic motivations. Donald Trump shamelessly seeks to legally codify class and racial discrimination all while lining the pockets of the already wealthy.
This administration is creating an invisible wall, using racist policy and bypassing Congress, to drastically reduce the number of immigrants in this country. However, the oversight will be the masses and we absolutely refuse to stay silent.
Attacks that paint people of color as undeserving when they receive the kinds of help that many low-income to moderate-income white families receive is a tactic that Black communities understand all too well.
Punishing immigrants and their U.S. citizen family members builds upon the shameful but effective practice of stigmatizing public programs and the people who need them.
Black communities have learned about the damning ripple effects of racist policies: REAL ID, vote suppression laws, increased police enforcement, increased sentences and mandatory sentencing minimums.
This announcement comes at a time when this administration threatens the future of over 300,000 TPS and DED families and 750,000 DACA recipients. This regulation would obstruct and limit their ability to adjust their status in the future. We expect that millions of Black immigrants and their families will be impacted.
We must fight back with every tool possible to prevent this proposed rule from ever taking effect. There is no power like the power of the people and we intend to prove that while encouraging every ally to do so as well. ”
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