FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

March 9, 2021 

CONTACT:  Kathy Melley, (617) 791-0708 

(BOSTON, MA) — Today, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to end its defense of the Trump-era public charge regulations. In response, the Supreme Court dismissed the pending appeals, and the 7th Circuit dismissed the government’s appeal. As a result, the Trump Administration’s 2019 public charge rule is permanently blocked nationwide.  

The Justice Department announcement and court dismissals comes just days after nearly 500 organizations affiliated with the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition, including Community Catalyst, sent an urgent letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ask that DOJ withdraw its appeals of public charge litigation.  

Statement of Emily Stewart, executive director of Community Catalyst, in response to Justice Department and court actions today blocking the Trump public charge regulation nationwide. 

“We are relieved that the Justice Department has dropped its defense of the harmful Trump public charge rule, which has had the devastating impact of denying many the health care they need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now immigrant families won’t have to make the impossible choice between keeping their family healthy or keeping them together.  

“While there is still much work to do to build sensible, humane, and fair immigration policies, the DOJ and court actions are a positive step toward supporting immigrant families’ ability to thrive in a country built and sustained by their contributions.” 

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About Community Catalyst : Community Catalyst is a leading non-profit national health advocacy organization dedicated to advancing a movement for health equity and justice. We partner with local, state, and national advocates to leverage community power so all people can influence decisions that affect their health. Health systems will not be accountable to people without a fully engaged and organized community voice. That’s why we work every day to ensure people’s interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and health care are made: in communities, statehouses, and on Capitol Hill. For more information, visit http://www.communitycatalyst.org. Follow us on Twitter @CommCatHealth.