Washington, D.C. - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) released the following statement in response to the Department of Homeland Security's recently released final rule to prevent the immigration of individuals based on the Department's mere suspicion that such individuals may one day use lawfully available public benefits:

"The new rule is the latest attack by the Trump Administration on our legal immigration system.  After failing to pass anti-immigrant legislation, the Administration now seeks to circumvent Congress and further divide our country by radically and unlawfully redefining our longstanding 'public charge' laws to the detriment of working class families.

"This rule has nothing to do with undocumented immigrants, who are already prohibited from receiving 'welfare.'  This proposal would deny green cards to immigrants who are here lawfully and working hard to get permanent status, based solely on their participation in public health and nutrition programs they are legally able, and even encouraged, to use.  To the surprise of no one, this proposal goes far beyond what the Administration has the lawful authority to do and clearly violates congressional intent.  We fully expect the courts to intervene and halt this cruel and unlawful rule."

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