- Last week, the Trump Administration issued a new proposed rule regarding Public Charge, which could block many from access to a green card. Unlike the first Trump Administration, where they tried to significantly expand issues to be considered under a public charge test, this time the administration has just decided to get rid of the existing rule without immediately replacing it. Instead, they have said that they will issue guidance in the future outside of the normal regulatory process. This lack of transparency and process is not about protecting the nation, rather it is about sowing chaos and confusion and is part of the same broader assault on immigrants and their families that we have seen since January 20. MIRA is working closely with the PIF Coalition and other partners locally and nationally to coordinate a response to this proposal. We are on a tighter timeline than we were during Trump I as they have only given us a 30-day public comment period this time. Fortunately, our allies are on top of things and have already provided a template comment for service providers and will be providing more templates and a sign-on letter shortly after Thanksgiving. MIRA will also be working on our own comments and will invite member organizations to sign on to. Last time, individuals and organizations from Massachusetts submitted over 6,000 comments to help stop the public charge rule, and we hope to see a similar level of resistance this time. Comments are due by December 19 and can be submitted here. PIF will have a public webinar on the public charge rule, the coordinated response, and resources on Wednesday Dec 3 @1pm, click here to register.
- In a policy memo leaked to the media, USCIS has ordered that refugees admitted during the Biden Administration go through a reinterview process while also suspending green card approvals for this group. This latest attack on refugees comes just after the president set a historic low of only 7,500 refugee admissions for 2026, with the goal that most of those admissions come from South Africa’s Afrikaner population.