A New York federal appeals court on Wednesday (January 8) ruled to maintain a temporary block on implementing the Trump administration’s change to the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds immigration policy, also known as the public charge rule. According to The Associated Press, the ruling was handed down by a three-judge panel of the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

As Colorlines previously reported, the public charge rule “punishes immigrants who have applied for government services including Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and housing assistance by denying them a green card or a path to American citizenship.” The rule was scheduled to take effect on October 15 of last year, but The AP reports a temporary national injunction was issued by New York and several other district courts after nearly a dozen lawsuits were filed against the policy.

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