Supreme Court denies motion to block Trump 'public charge' rule during pandemic

The Supreme Court on Friday denied a request to block the Trump administration's "public charge" rule during the coronavirus health crisis. A group of state attorneys general had asked the court to issue an injunction against the rule, which links a migrant's eligibility for legal status with the likelihood that he or she will rely on public assistance. The court had decided earlier this year to allow the rule to go into effect, but the group of state officials, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D), had asked the justices to revisit the decision in light of the ongoing pandemic. The court did not publish an opinion on its decision not to grant the request, nor did it publish a vote tally for the move. But their order on Friday did leave open the possibility that the attorneys general could seek relief in the lower courts. James said that she intends to file for an injunction with a federal district court, which had granted her initial motion before the outbreak. The rule allows immigration authorities to consider applicants for legal status a public charge if they receive public assistance like food stamps or Medicare for 12 months in a three-year period. James and other attorneys general challenging the rule have called it a "wealth test" for immigrants...MORE