As students across America are set to go back to school, the Trump administration is set to enact policy that could negatively affect thousands of children and their families.
The Trump administration’s new proposal of “public charge” states that legal immigrants who are already living on American soil could be denied a green card and future permanent residency if they or a member of their families uses the array of state and federal services available to them. Those services include Medicaid, food stamps, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and low-income tax credits.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than half of all immigrant households use at least one benefit program to receive the essential resources needed for life. Still, the National Academy of Sciences recently reported that within one generation of being a legal immigrant, the immigrant population contributes significantly more to our national wealth than it draws from public services.
Preventing any segment of our population from accessing health care undermines the most basic public health principles. I urge people to contact their members of Congress to fight this.
Sarah Power, Logan Square
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Cubs’ Daniel Murphy has change of heart
People are capable of heart-level change (“Three years after anti-gay comments, new Cub Daniel Murphy advocates inclusion” — Friday). He deserves an opportunity to prove himself in this regard. I hope he is given the courtesy others want from him.
Rebecca Bishop via Facebook
Madonna’s tribute true to form
It’s Madonna, did you expect any different (“Madonna’s egocentric Aretha Franklin tribute earns backlash” — Tuesday)? I believe she tried to give Aretha credit for opening doors for women entertainers, but somehow lost the point to her story and just continued on without a clue.
Samuel Saldana via Facebook
Dems also have #MeToo issues
The excellent op-ed on the need for #MeToo to be consistent was lacking any mention of the sad events with the actions of Mr. Keith Ellison in Minnesota (“#MeToo movement must condemn sexual abuse, no matter who’s involved” — Wednesday).
If we are to be held to consistency, let’s be sure it is evenly applied. Which is something the Democratic National Committee seems to not want to do.
Matthew Coleman, South Loop
No ethics at Ohio State
How can anyone support the decision by Ohio State University to retain football coach Urban Meyer (“The buck never stops with Ohio State’s Urban Meyer — it just sort of disappears” — Friday)? What has happened to basic morality and ethics? Perhaps the OSU administration is taking its cues from the White House. And, of course, money talks when it comes to college athletics.
Cindy Ross, Evanston
