Arizona Republic

By: Linda Valdez

What’s not legitimate? The scare tactics Trump uses to justify treating hard-working men and women – and their children – like a big-time threat to our jobs, our homes, our language and our way of life. One of those tactics is a proposed rule change by the Department of Homeland Security regarding the definition of a “public charge.” It is ostensibly about assuring that taxpayers don’t wind up supporting immigrants. But it is already this country’s policy to assess whether someone is likely to become a reliant on public assistance before they can get a visa or a green card. Trump’s proposed rule expands the definition and broadens its application for those with visas who are already living here. The change could impact more than 10 million U.S. citizen children who have non-citizen parents, according to Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. About 220,000 Arizonans could be directly affected by the rule change, according to the Arizona Basic Needs Coalition. The rules are complicated and there are exemptions. But this isn’t about the small print. This about frightening people. And it’s working.

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