AAP Applauds Rulings to Reject the Public Charge Rule

By: Kyle Yasuda, MD, FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics

​"Today's rulings from Judge George Daniels and Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson, rejecting the Trump Administration’s harmful public charge rule, are important victories for child health. The public charge rule has already had a dangerous chilling effect, leading immigrant families to avoid accessing vital health, nutrition and housing programs. Today's rulings will halt this regulation from taking effect next week.

"The final rule disproportionately harms children, pregnant women, and individuals with disabilities by considering age and health status as negative factors in a public charge assessment. The AAP along with its Washington and New York chapters submitted an amicus brief to the courts outlining the harmful outcomes that would occur if the rule were to go into effect.

"Against a backdrop of inhumane policies that have torn immigrant families apart at the border, subjected children to deplorable conditions in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, and instilled fear throughout immigrant communities, it is especially meaningful to see the courts affirm the rule of law and the tremendous contributions of immigrant families to our society. The American Academy of Pediatrics applauds these two judges for their decisions and will continue to strongly oppose any attempts to finalize the public charge rule."

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org and follow us on Twitter @AmerAcadPeds