WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2019) San Francisco and Santa Clara counties in the US state of California filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to appeal the Trump administration's rule that limits the opportunities of individuals who seek permanent residence status in the United States to use public benefits, local media reported.
"The Trump administration's new rule is an unlawful, foolish attack on immigrant communities," Santa Clara County Counsel James Williams said in a written statement quoted by The Mercury news on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Trump administration announced immigrants may be denied permanent residence status in the United States if they use food assistance, housing vouchers and other welfare benefits over a threshold referred to as a "public charge."
The two counties filed the lawsuit at the US district court for the Northern District of California. Both counties have previously sued the Trump administration over threats to deny Federal funding to so-called sanctuary cities.
The lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration is forcing people to withdraw from available benefits, adding that the rule will hurt local communities by reducing access to critical health and safety-net services.
