On September 10, 2023, a U. S. District Judge, Mary McElroy, ordered four federal agencies to stop barring illegal immigrants from various federal programs, such as Head Start, which supports low-income families with child care.
• The Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Justice, Education, and Labor were instructed to halt their efforts to restrict program access based on a new interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.
• Previously, individuals did not need to prove their legal status to access certain programs intended for U. S. citizens and legal immigrants.
• The order came after twenty state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the government, claiming that the new interpretation was wrongful and lacked proper notice.
• Judge McElroy criticized the government's abrupt change in policy, stating it undermined decades of earlier practice and might violate the Administrative Procedure Act.
• New York Attorney General Letitia James, part of the lawsuit, highlighted that the ruling protects education and healthcare for children and families in need.
The ruling enables illegal immigrants to continue accessing essential federal programs while the legal dispute over the new interpretations continues.
Comments
Post a Comment