Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich wants to defend a Trump-era rule that was designed to deny green cards to those at the bottom of the economic ladder.

Brnovich is joined with 10 other Republican state attorneys general trying to intervene in a federal case. Brnovich claims this is purely economic considering the pandemic’s effects. 

“I think that now is not the right time to increase the amount of people that are getting Medicaid, public assistance benefits, including SNAP benefits," Brnovich said. "I think that we need to take care of people that are here legally before we start giving benefits to people that just recently arrived here and don't have legal status.”

However, the ability of immigrants to support themselves has always been a part of the consideration when determining if someone who enters this country legally should be granted permanent status. The Trump rule was designed to deny that status to people already here legally if it was determined they are likely to use government programs like food stamps and subsidized housing.

The Biden administration decided to not fight a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which found Trump’s policies were illegal. 

A court date has not been set to decide whether Brnovich can intercede.