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Statement

Trump Administration’s Public Charge Rule Is a Public Disgrace, Moms Leader Says

September 24, 2018
Immigration

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Trump administration’s ‘public charge’ rule, issued Saturday:

“Mean. Short-sighted. Deceptive. Harmful. Dangerous. Anti-family.

“Those are just some of the ways to describe the ‘public charge’ rule the Trump administration announced on Saturday. This rule would force families with children to choose between reuniting with loved ones and putting food on the table. It would create an immigration system in which green cards go to the highest bidders, putting the wealthy ahead of families who’ve waited years to be reunited – and families with moderate incomes need not apply.

“This rule is designed to vilify all immigrants, pointing the finger at new immigrants, so we look the other way while this administration and this Congress give massive, unprecedented tax breaks to the mega-wealthy and huge corporations while cutting funding from health, education, housing, food and nutrition programs and other critical services that families need.

“The truth is that immigrants are a vital part of our nation’s economy and culture. In fact immigrants pay much more in taxes than they receive in benefits. For example, 3.3 million immigrant business owners accounted for 20.3 percent of all self-employed U.S. residents in 2015 and generated $72.3 billion in business income.

“The moms of America understand what President Trump and his allies in Congress apparently do not – that diversity is what makes our country strong and prosperous, not the opposite. When we have each others’ backs – by ensuring that those of us who’ve fallen on hard times can get through to better days – we make this a nation we’re proud to call home.

“Our country’s moms have been horrified by the administration’s heartless treatment of asylum-seekers and immigrants. This rule would continue that shameful treatment and harm our nation’s children for years to come. It is a public disgrace and we will fight it.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.