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Crosscurrents

Bay Area Counties Sue Trump Administration For Targeting Low-Income Immigrants

Evan Vucci
/
AP Photos
Acting Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli announces changes to "public charge" policy in a White House briefing on August 12, 2019.

San Francisco and Santa Clara counties became the first in the nation last week to sue the Trump Administration over its controversial "public charge" rule. 

"Hundreds of thousands of families could dis-enroll from services they need if this goes into effect."

Under this new policy, immigrants who are legally in the United States could be denied green cards if they use food stamps, Medi-Cal or housing assistance programs. Local politicians argue the policy is racially motivated, punishes low-income immigrants and could undermine immigrants' health.

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Teresa Cotsirilos was a reporter at KALW covering labor rights and public health in the Bay Area’s immigrant communities.