‘We will use all of the legal tools at our disposal to fight this.’
SAN FRANCISCO (Aug. 12, 2019) — City Attorney Dennis Herrera today issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s newly changed rule on Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds, which seeks to disqualify lawful immigrants from residency in the country if they have used certain federal assistance programs:
“This rule change is not just cruel, it is unlawful. It upends decades of law and public policy to push bigotry. Let’s be clear about what this change will do. It will scare lawful residents away from getting help with food, health care and housing. It is already sowing fear and confusion in immigrant communities.”
“If allowed to stand, this change would be incredibly damaging, and all of us would bear the costs. Instead of going to the doctor’s office with a cold, people will wind up in the emergency room with pneumonia. San Francisco taxpayers will end up footing the bill. This change is expected to increase health care costs by up to $45 million a year in San Francisco alone. San Francisco’s economy could lose another $13 million a year from people forfeiting food assistance, spending that would stop flowing to local stores, grocers and their workers. This administration is once again breaking the law in their zeal to target immigrants. They are harming all San Franciscans along the way. We will use all of the legal tools at our disposal to fight this.”
More information about the City Attorney’s Office is available on our website at: sfcityattorney.org.
###