Immigrants already dropping benefits ahead of new Trump rule, California counties say

Two Democratic-led California counties asked a federal court on Wednesday to immediately block the Trump administration's so-called "public charge" regulation, saying fearful immigrants in their diverse communities are foregoing essential health and social benefits as a direct result of the rule's scheduled implementation in October.

In a new filing in their legal challenge to the controversial proposal by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the populous counties of Santa Clara and San Francisco are hoping to convince the U.S. District Court of Northern California to issue an preliminary injunction by demonstrating that the regulation is already inflicting "irreparable harm" to their residents.

"If this rule would go into effect, you can't the undo the damage of people who are not going to be accessing public health services, not going to be accessing needed governmental services or programs," James Williams, counsel for Santa Clara County, told CBS News on Wednesday. "That damage can't be undone and that's why the rule needs to be blocked now."

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