Trump Proposal on Immigration Benefits Spurs Protest, Arrests in Lower Manhattan
When Muhammad Sattaur’s parents came to U.S from Guyana in 1993, they had $125.27 in their pockets.
“I remember standing in welfare lines with my mother, going to places for milk and cereal,” said Sattaur. He came to Lower Manhattan Monday evening to protest, along with about 150 others, a new proposal by President Trump`s administration to curb benefits for immigrants. If it goes into effect, people receiving public assistance will have less chance of getting visas or green cards.
The protest was organized by the New York Immigration Coalition, an organization that seeks to improve conditions for immigrants.
The event did attract police attention when protesters blocked traffic on Delancey and Orchard streets. Fourteen people were arrested for disorderly conduct, according to police.
Trump’s policy would restrict many legal immigrants from getting non-emergency Medicaid, food stamps, public housing and other benefits. That makes the proposal personal for Sattaur. “Most immigrants come to the country for opportunities and with the aspiration that, despite whatever the personal situation financially might be, with hard work they can get where they need to be,” said Sattaur, who is now a U.S. citizen.
The regulation could deter immigrants from entering the country for new job opportunities.
The Department of Homeland Security contended that the regulation “intends to promote immigrant self-sufficiency and protect finite resources by ensuring that they are not likely to become burdens on American taxpayers.”
Trump’s proposal has hit a nerve in New York, a city with 3.1 million immigrants, the largest number in the city’s history.
“We are going to push back. This is like making families choose between putting food on the table or getting legal status,” said Mayra Aldás-Deckert, from the coalition.
The regulation could significantly affect health care for immigrants, said Winn Periyasamy, policy analyst for the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, a local anti-poverty group.
“It does not just impact people who you call traditionally poor,” said Periyasamy. “A lot of people use Medicaid and Medicare, and from different ages.” Even before this proposal was announced, Politico reported, some documented and undocumented immigrants were dropping out of nutrition programs.
Juan Mármol, a protester from Ecuador, said the proposal would be “terrible for many families that need to feed their children.”
Advocacy groups plan to pressure the White House in upcoming days. As of Monday evening, more that 1,100 organizations had signed a statement condemning the proposal, saying it “puts money ahead of family and threatens to worsen hunger, poverty, and unmet health and housing needs.”
Once the rule is published in the Federal Register, the public will have 60 days to comment. “I would encourage everyone to bombard the administration with commentary,” said New York State Sen. Gustavo Rivera at the rally.
