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Conn. Attorney General Takes Aim At New Trump Immigration Rules

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong is fighting recent immigration policy put forth by the Trump Administration.

Last week, Tong joined 17 other attorneys general in opposing the implementation of expedited removal. 

The Trump administration rule allows the Department of Homeland Security to deport certain immigrants without the guarantee of a hearing before an immigration judge or the right to an attorney.

Speaking on Connecticut Public Radio's Where We Live, Tong says the rule flies in the face of everything the U.S. stands for.

“Whether you are documented or not, you are entitled to due process and equal protection of laws, which is protected in two places - in the 14th Amendment which applies to the states, and in the Fifth Amendment which applies to the federal government,” said Tong.

Earlier this month Tong joined Vermont and the state and city of New York in suing the Trump administration over the public charge rule, which denies green cards and visas to immigrants who have used, or are likely to use government assistance programs like SNAP, or Section 8 housing vouchers.

Tong called the rule a “racist ploy” that “attacks the core of Connecticut’s workforce.”

“We are talking about working people,” said Tong. “If you are an immigrant, and you are here on a green card and you are not a lawyer, you don’t know what all this means. You just know that if you receive food stamps because you need some help, or if you receive a section housing voucher, that could harm you and your family. So what are you going to do? You are not going to take those benefits. You are going to take food literally off the table, away from your American citizen children. You are going to be chilled from accessing programs that are really important to help you live.”

Tong also opposes a new Trump proposal which would allow immigration officials to hold immigrant families in detention indefinitely.

Ray Hardman is Connecticut Public’s Arts and Culture Reporter. He is the host of CPTV’s Emmy-nominated original series Where Art Thou? Listeners to Connecticut Public Radio may know Ray as the local voice of Morning Edition, and later of All Things Considered.

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