In mid-August, the Administration announced its final version of the “public charge” rule, which would force immigrants to undergo a rigorous wealth test in order to obtain their green card—an important step in the process of ultimately becoming a US citizen. Under new guidelines, immigrants may be denied their green card if they have in the past used or are deemed likely to use federal assistance programs such as Medicaid, Section 8, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Without a doubt, this policy blatantly favors wealthy immigrants, and boldly inserts racist, classist, and white supremacist ideology into a process that should be open and equitable for all. Even though the use of benefits will not automatically make someone ineligible for a green card, it’s obvious that the Trump Administration hopes that news of this policy will deter immigrants from using the public assistance they are lawfully eligible for.
Read our blog post for more in-depth information about the public charge ruling, including straightforward facts on who could be impacted. It’s also important to remember that multiple lawsuits have been filed by states and organizations across the country in response to this rule, and that litigation could deter or completely stop this policy before it is set to begin on October 15, 2019. The Protecting Immigrant Families Campaign has also developed fact sheets and advocacy materials.
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