Submit A Comment by Dec. 13th to Oppose a Dangerous Rule That Threatens Health Access For Immigrants

Last month, the Trump administration published a proposed regulation that would make it more difficult for people to obtain green cards and visas based on a prediction of how likely they are to receive certain public benefits in the future. The proposed rule concerns the “public charge” test applied to a person who is applying to enter the United States or adjust to Lawful Permanent Resident Status (LPR).

A person is considered a “public charge” if they are likely to become “primarily dependent” on the government for financial assistance. While the “public charge” classification has existed since the 1880s, current regulation only allows immigration officials to consider a person’s enrollment in public cash assistance programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)when predicting how likely they are to use public benefits in the future. The proposed regulation would expand the types of program that “count” when making this prediction.  If this proposed regulation becomes final, immigration officials could also consider an individuals’ use of social and health government assistance programs like Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and housing assistance when reviewing their application for a green card or visa.

Even though these rules are not final and would apply prospectively, many people are already disenrolling or opting not to enroll themselves and their family members in government assistance programs that are critical to their health and well-being for fear of the consequences. 

The Protecting Immigrant Families campaign is a national effort to oppose this proposed regulation with great resources and information on the issue.