Commentary: In a reckless new attack on immigrant families, the Trump administration proposed a federal rule on Saturday that would allow the government to deny green cards and visa renewals to immigrants who have participated in programs that help with basic needs like medical care, food, and housing.
The rule change primarily impacts lawfully present immigrants applying for green cards and immigrants seeking entry to the U.S. through family-based petitions. It will significantly disrupt access to food, healthcare, and shelter for millions of immigrant families nationwide and hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans.
“No family should have to choose between meeting basic needs and being with their loved ones,” said Sovereign Hager, legal director at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty.
Trump’s new rule drastically expands the list of programs that jeopardize immigration status to include nearly all available basic need programs like Medicaid and SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. The “public charge” rule currently only considers receipt of cash benefits and institutional care as a public charge reason to deny immigrants admission to U.S. or to deny their application for legal residency. The new rule will not be retroactive, so the current use of food and medical benefits do not fall under the proposed rule.
19.8 million children in the U.S. live with at least one immigrant parent. When eligible family members cannot access food assistance because they fear immigration consequences, the entire family has reduced access to food. Nearly five million citizen children and at least 30,000 U.S. citizen children in New Mexico may face a reduction in food benefits.
“The latest scheme unfairly changes the rules for families who’ve waited for years to be reunited,” said Sireesha Manne, executive director at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty. “It creates a pay-to-play immigration system where green cards go to the highest bidders in wealthier households.”
The Trump administration’s policy agenda is already causing immigrants to forgo crucial assistance for themselves and their citizen children for fear of being targeted for deportation. By penalizing families for accepting help with food and medical care for which they are eligible, the policy will increase inequality and make us a sicker, hungrier, poorer nation.
The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty denounces this cruel and reckless public charge proposal. In the weeks and months to come, the organization will work tirelessly to mobilize with state and national partners to oppose the proposed rule.
“The best way to strengthen our country is to ensure that all families who live in it can meet their basic needs. All families have a human right to food, medical care, and shelter to thrive and contribute to their communities and our country,” said Hager. “These cruel attacks on immigrant families must stop for our nation to end inequality and increase opportunity.”
Find out more about the public charge rule here: http://nmpovertylaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Factsheet-Know-the-facts-about-public-charge-2018-09-23.pdf
A copy of the proposed new rule can be found here: https://www.dhs.gov/publication/proposed-rule-inadmissibility-public-charge-grounds#
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The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty is dedicated to advancing economic and social justice through education, advocacy, and litigation. We work with low-income New Mexicans to improve living conditions, increase opportunities, and protect the rights of people living in poverty.