Immigrants who get tested or treated for the coronavirus will not be penalized when applying for citizenship under a public charge rule that restricts green cards for those who use taxpayer-funded services.
In a statement, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said that it is encouraging anyone with symptoms of the COVID-19 to seek medical treatment.
“Such treatment or preventive services will not negatively affect any alien as part of a future Public Charge analysis,” the agency said.
“To address the possibility that some aliens impacted by COVID-19 may be hesitant to seek necessary medical treatment or preventive services, USCIS will neither consider testing, treatment, nor preventative care (including vaccines, if a vaccine becomes available) related to COVID-19 as part of a public charge inadmissibility determination,” the agency continued.
The public charge rule went into effect last week after the Supreme Court in January allowed the Trump administration to enforce it.
Vanessa Trump Reveals Scary ‘Personal Health Update’
Trump owns the GOP. Could Republicans pay the price in the midterms?
Owner of daycare in viral Nick Shirley video charged in $4.6M daycare fraud scheme, prosecutors say
Woman Pleads Guilty to Murder of Girl, 2, After Police Find Grisly Box Hidden in Back of Closet
Scientists Spent 20 Years Scaring Our Kids with a Climate Model They Knew Was Flawed
Can Keisha Lance Bottoms deliver the Georgia win Stacey Abrams could not?
Scott Jennings Delivers Reality Check to People Blaming Jews for Thomas Massie’s Loss
New website puts Platner on notice by amplifying scandals: ‘One red flag after another’
Fox News Poll: 30% think recent Trump assassination attempt was staged
Murdaugh ‘egg juror’ fights to crack open jury tampering investigation with records in court clerk scandal
Influencer mom, lawyer dad accused of dark-web murder plot against boy-band baby daddy
Former prosecutor charged for disguising sealed Jack Smith report as cake recipe
The Last Leg of Stephen Colbert’s Far-Left Farewell Tour Reminds Us Exactly Why CBS Canceled Him
Trump roasts Dem candidate as unelectable for cardinal sin in Texas
Transcript: Washington Examiner’s full interview with White House border czar Tom Homan
The rule essentially restricts immigrants entering the United States if the government believes they will rely on public assistance such as welfare or health care and housing benefits. Lower federal courts had blocked the rule from enforcing before the high court ruling.
Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, assured lawmakers last week in a closed-door briefing that immigrants seeking coronavirus testing or treatment would not be penalized.
Several Democratic lawmakers praised the USCIS announcement.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, called it “an important first step,” according to CQ Roll Call.
“COVID-19 does not differentiate between the wealthy and poor or immigrants and citizens – therefore, we must close any gaps in our health system so that everyone has the same access to care right now,” he said in a statement.
Vanessa Trump Reveals Scary ‘Personal Health Update’
Trump owns the GOP. Could Republicans pay the price in the midterms?
Owner of daycare in viral Nick Shirley video charged in $4.6M daycare fraud scheme, prosecutors say
Woman Pleads Guilty to Murder of Girl, 2, After Police Find Grisly Box Hidden in Back of Closet
Scientists Spent 20 Years Scaring Our Kids with a Climate Model They Knew Was Flawed
Can Keisha Lance Bottoms deliver the Georgia win Stacey Abrams could not?
Scott Jennings Delivers Reality Check to People Blaming Jews for Thomas Massie’s Loss
New website puts Platner on notice by amplifying scandals: ‘One red flag after another’
Fox News Poll: 30% think recent Trump assassination attempt was staged
Murdaugh ‘egg juror’ fights to crack open jury tampering investigation with records in court clerk scandal
Influencer mom, lawyer dad accused of dark-web murder plot against boy-band baby daddy
Former prosecutor charged for disguising sealed Jack Smith report as cake recipe
The Last Leg of Stephen Colbert’s Far-Left Farewell Tour Reminds Us Exactly Why CBS Canceled Him
Trump roasts Dem candidate as unelectable for cardinal sin in Texas
Transcript: Washington Examiner’s full interview with White House border czar Tom Homan
Rep. Norma Torres, D-Calif., an opponent of the public charge rule, also commended the agency.
“I see this as a signal from the USCIS that they recognize that American lives potentially are at risk due to this public charge rule,” Torres said. “We have to encourage people to come forward. I want to make sure that everyone in the household that might have been in contact with somebody that has been infected with coronavirus is able to get tested and get treatment.”
Story cited here.
