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It’s Time to Fight Back and Stop Yet Another Attack on Immigrant Communities by the Trump Administration
BREAKING NEWS: Today, the Trump administration announced that on Wednesday, October 10, it will publish in the Federal Register a proposed rule that will harm immigrants and their families, after announcing plans to do so last month. Now that we know when the proposed “public charge” rule will officially be published, we know when the clock will start running. t’s time to get ready to fight back and make sure this punitive rule never becomes finalized.
First, let’s be clear on what’s at stake. The proposed rule would dramatically change the public charge determination that affects immigrants seeking to enter the United States and those trying to change their status to become lawful permanent residents (LPRs, or “green card” holders). Specifically, this rule would:
- Significantly expand the list of benefits taken into consideration when making this determination, to include not only cash benefits and long-term institutional care but also non-emergency Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy, and housing assistance.
- Create an income threshold for households trying to overcome a public charge determination, by requiring that the immigrant have income of at least 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($31,375 annually for a family of four), thus transforming our immigration process into a “pay to play” system.
- Harm women, families, and communities (for the Spanish language version, go here) by forcing people to choose between providing for their families’ basic needs and reuniting family members.
Put simply, this proposed rule is an affront to our values and would make our nation poorer, sicker, and hungrier. But the publication of the proposed rule is only the beginning and there is still plenty of time to take action. Here’s how you can help:
- Find out more information at protectingimmigrantfamilies.org;
- Speak out publicly against the proposed rule on social media using #ProtectFamilies;
- Prepare to submit comments as an individual or on behalf of an organization to gov within the 60-day time period, which will open on October 10 and close on December 10; and
- Call your representatives and senators at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to publicly oppose this rule.
And stay tuned for more materials from the Law Center. In the days to come, we will share template comments individuals can use to highlight this rule’s potential to devastate women and families in our communities. Make sure to sign up for our emails here.
Together, we can fight back against this attack on immigrant families, and our nation’s values.