An uninsured woman takes her children in for a medical check-up at a low-cost clinic run by the Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics on July 28, 2009, in Aurora, Colorado. | John Moore/Getty Images

The “public charge rule” has had a chilling effect on immigrants seeking testing and treatment for Covid-19.

A federal judge in New York blocked the Trump administration Wednesday night from continuing to enforce a rule that has created barriers to low-income immigrants seeking to enter the US.

The so-called “public charge” rule, published last August by the Department of Homeland Security, established a test to determine whether an immigrant applying to enter the US, extend their visa, or convert their temporary immigration status into a green card is likely to end up relying on public benefits in the future.

The rule gave immigration officials more leeway to turn away those