(Washington, D.C.) – Last Saturday, the Trump Administration proposed a new rule that, if implemented, would have devastating effects on some of the most vulnerable people in the United States. Transgender Law Center (TLC), the largest national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all people, issued the following response from deputy director Isa Noyola:
“This administration is pushing increasingly callous and convoluted schemes to further its increasingly brazen targeting of immigrants, communities of color, and poor people. Through aggressively redefining the term “public charge,” the federal government is seeking to drastically restrict access to crucial safety net programs like SNAP (formerly known as food stamps), housing assistance, and Medicaid.
This rule, which seeks to punish poor people in the process of applying for visas or green cards, would endanger the well-being of millions by drastically restricting the social safety net. In some cases, it would burden families with impossible choices, such as forcing a parent to pick between their immigration case or their child’s healthcare and the rule can also be used as another coercive tactic by traffickers and abusive partners to dissuade victims from accessing vital services that have been a lifeline for many in the past to escape these horrific conditions.
At Transgender Law Center, we support communities navigating daunting bureaucratic systems every day. We know the deadly impact of this policy would extend even beyond those caught up directly: with red tape so complicated, and stakes so high, people are likely to preemptively drop out of life-saving programs just to try to protect their families. This proposed rule, the latest step in a relentless campaign to drive our communities into the shadows, is utterly reprehensible and completely unjust. It is racism dressed up in threadbare legalese. We condemn this move and the animating ideology behind it.”
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Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all people. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation. https://transgenderlawcenter.org