(CNN) A coalition of 17 attorneys general across the country, led by Washington state's Bob Ferguson, have signed a letter asking the Trump administration to delay the new public charge rule for immigrants while the coronavirus outbreak is ongoing.

The public charge rule, which went into effect February 24, establishes the criteria for who can get green cards based on whether they use or are expected to use government benefits, such as food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing. The controversial rule was embroiled in a legal battle that ascended through the court system, ending with a 5-4 Supreme Court decision in January that cleared the way for the policy change to begin.

Reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said, "The public charge rule takes into account the totality of circumstances and no one aspect of an individual's situation would deem them ineligible for change in status. Nowhere in the rule does it say an immigrant will be denied a change in status if they seek medical care."

Ferguson's letter blasts the administration as discouraging people from accessing health care they are entitled to in the midst of a public health crisis.

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