The announcement by the Donald Trump Administration to reactivate the public charge rule as of September 18 for those applying for permanent residence in the United States has already generated fear and uncertainty among immigrants, warned organizations in New York, which promised to combat this policy.
The groups, which urged immigrants to seek legal advice before the measure comes into force, described as “cruel” the Government’s decision, which already applied this rule in 2020 and which will allow permanent residence to be denied to those who the authorities consider may become “a public charge.”
They warned that many families who have been waiting for years to regularize their situation will be forced to choose between continuing with their immigration procedures or guaranteeing their children’s access to food and medical care.
“We will see an increase in medical emergencies, more malnourished and hungry schoolchildren, more families entering the shelter system and many other avoidable harms,” said Carlos Arnao, of the Immigration Coalition, during a press conference with other organizations.
Javier Ramírez Baron, executive director of Cabrini Immigrant Services, assured that last Thursday’s announcement is already having effects among the families to whom they provide assistance and related the case of a mother of a US citizen child with medical needs who depends on Medicaid, health insurance for low-income people, and food aid.
“That mother called us in tears to ask us if she should cancel her son’s medical appointment or continue with her immigration case,” he explained.
Ramírez Baron also criticized that the Government has not published a specific list of the benefits that will be taken into account when applying the rule, which, he said, fuels confusion among immigrants.
Randy Ali, executive director of the Arab-American Family Support Center, and Kevin Cho, of the Asian American Federation, also warned of the consequences that the measure will have for the communities they represent.
According to Cho, the Department of Homeland Security itself estimates that some 950,000 people could decide not to apply for or abandon public benefits for fear that this would harm their immigration procedures.
He also recalled that when the rule first went into effect in 2019, non-citizen Asians left the food stamp program at a rate eight times higher than Asian citizens.
The commissioner of the New York Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Faiza N. Ali, supported the organizations and assured that the city will use “all the tools at its disposal” to combat the Trump Administration’s policies, while asking immigrants to seek advice from trusted organizations.
“The public charge rule is not intended to protect taxpayers, but rather to deter immigrants from accessing essential services and create a climate of fear,” said Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC).
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will publish a revised version of the application form to register permanent residence or adjust status (I-485).
