The proposal would have required prospective immigrants would have to show State Department consular officials that they're able to get health coverage within a month of entering the U.S. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Yet another strategy on the part of the Trump administration to deny entry to the country to immigrants has been stalled, as a judge issued a temporary restraining order against a proposed policy to bar people who cannot show they can afford health insurance or medical costs.
CBS News reports that Judge Michael Simon of the U.S. District Court in Oregon blocked the policy with a temporary restraining order just hours before it was set to take effect on Sunday. According to the Migration Policy Institute, the policy would have denied entry to up to 375,000 potential legal immigrants seeking to enter the country each year.
"We applaud the court's ruling; countless thousands across the country can breathe a sigh of relief today because the court recognized the urgent and irreparable harm that would have been inflicted," Jesse Bless, director of federal litigation at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said in a statement.
AILA, Innovation Law Lab and the Justice Action Center launched a legal challenge to the policy last week, saying that the Trump administration was trying to override existing immigration policy law without input from Congress.
As might be expected, the administration plans to appeal the decision, on the basis that Trump's policy would "protect" the U.S. health care system.
The proposal would have required prospective immigrants would have to show State Department consular officials that they're able to get health coverage within a month of entering the U.S. If they are unable to do so, they must show that they have the financial wherewithal to cover "reasonably foreseeable medical costs." Although the policy was announced last month, the State Department has not yet released any guidance on how such a policy would be managed.
This isn't the first restrictive policy issued by the White House that's been dealt a blow by the courts. The policy that would have denied green cards and temporary visas to any prospective immigrants who might end up "on the public charge"—needing assistance from such public programs as food stamps or government housing—was also blocked by several courts.
The report says, "In his ruling, Simon said he would hold a hearing on November 22 to determine whether he will issue a preliminary injunction in the case. The temporary restraining order is valid for 28 days."
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Marlene Satter
Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.
