US Judge Blocks Trump’s Health Insurance Rule For Immigrants
(AP) – A federal judge in Portland, Oregon, has put on hold a Trump administration rule requiring immigrants prove they will have health insurance or can pay for medical care before they can get visas.
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon on Saturday granted a preliminary injunction that prevents the rule from going into effect Sunday.
Seven U.S. citizens and a nonprofit organization filed the lawsuit on Wednesday contending the rule would block nearly two-thirds of all prospective legal immigrants.
The lawsuit also says the rule would greatly reduce or eliminate the number of immigrants who enter the United States with family-sponsored visas.
The rule is the Trump administration’s latest effort to limit immigrant access to public programs while trying to move the country away from a family-based immigration system to merit-based system.