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Summer is in full swing in Washington with lawmakers remaining home in district.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that they would move forward with the public charge regulatory proposal which will change how the government evaluates immigrants seeking to change their immigration status.
"Public charge" is a term used by the federal government to determine the likelihood of an immigrant becoming dependent on the government for public assistance. According to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), individuals seeking admission to the United States or seeking to adjust status to that of an individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence (green card) are inadmissible if the individuals, "at the time of application for admission or adjustment of status, [are] likely at any time to become a public charge."
Under the final rule, individuals will be deemed a public charge if they are determined to be "more likely than not" to receive certain benefits for an aggregate period of more than 12 months in any 36-month period (with, for example, receipt of two benefits during the same month counting as two months).
The final rule will drastically widen the definition of public charge and include additional benefits in the determination including nutrition assistance, public housing, and various health care programs. While the full impact of the final rule is unknown, researchers estimate roughly 26 million people would be impacted by the new rule. The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) provided additional information and resources this week.
Catholic Charities USA responded to the announcement of the rule by calling on DHS "to conduct additional consideration of the plethora of comments that are in opposition to this rule and rescind it in its entirety. We encourage the reconsideration of this rule to be completed in good-faith, focused on the reality of the actual harm described in the submitted comments and devoid of the harsh and divisive rhetoric used to support and justify this rule and similar policies." You can read the full statement here.
Faith and the Common Good
Thursday of this week (Aug. 15) we celebrated the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which highlights the truth of our faith that Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven immediately upon her death. Since she cooperated freely and fully with God's grace, assenting to his will every day of her life, she prepared herself to give birth to Jesus and to follow Jesus to eternal life. She did so without sin, and so the Church teaches that God gave her the grace of the assumption. The assumption was a unique gift, but we should not forget the rest of Mary's life, the daily "yes" she said to God. Although Mary received a unique grace and vocation from God, she remains our sister, which means we can imitate her. We have many graces from God too. Like her, we can say yes and make the effort to yield to God every day.
Prayer
My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever. Luke 1:46-55
Trivia
No one came up with the correct answer to last week's the trivia question. On August 16th through 18th, 1787 the founding fathers took up and agreed to the enumeration of congressional powers.
This week's question:
Which pope and papal encyclical proposed the doctrine and established the feast for the Queenship of Mary?
Please send your answers to socialpolicy@catholiccharitiesusa.org
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