Iran Press/America: A coalition of 22 Democratic-led states sued the Donald Trump administration after it decided to relax restrictions on coal-fired power plants.
In June, the Environmental Protection Agency (US Environmental Protection Agency) scrapped its clean energy program and replaced it with a new law that would give states more leeway in deciding to upgrade coal-fired power plants.
A lawsuit filed in the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeal alleges that the new rule violates the Federal Clean Air Act because it does not substantially replace greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, Reuters reported.
The lawsuit was initiated by California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Brought by the attorneys general of Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
Six local governments including Boulder, Colorado, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and South Miami, Florida have also joined them.
Meanwhile, the city of San Francisco and nearby Santa Clara County sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday, seeking to block a new rule that would drastically reduce legal immigration by denying visas to poor migrants.
Some experts say the new rule could cut legal immigration in half by denying visas and permanent residency to hundreds of thousands of people if they fail to meet high enough income standards or if they receive public assistance such as welfare, food stamps, public housing or Medicaid.
“This illegal rule is just another attempt to vilify immigrants,” San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said in a statement.
Trump has made an effort to curb both legal and illegal immigration, an issue he has made a cornerstone of his presidency and one that he has stressed again as the campaign for the 2020 presidential election heats up.
The rule, unveiled on Monday and to take effect Oct. 15, expands the definition of a public charge, allowing denials to visa applicants who fail to meet income requirements or who receive public assistance.
The suit claims the new rule violates the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 by contradicting the longstanding definition of public charge as a person “primarily” dependent on public assistance for survival.
The suit also claims the new rule would split families, undermining immigration laws to prioritize family unification; misapplies the intent of Congress on the description of self-sufficiency of immigrants; and runs contrary to the statutes governing SNAP, also known as food stamps.
The National Immigration Law Center also said it also will file a lawsuit to stop the rule from taking effect. The attorneys general of California and New York have also threatened to sue. 101/211/213
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