On October 10, 2018 the Trump Administration’s proposed “public charge” rule was published in the Federal Register. The proposal is extremely discriminatory against disabled immigrants, and we need to do all we can to stop it!
The public charge rule is used to prevent immigrants from entering the US or becoming legal permanent residents if they are likely to rely on certain public benefits. This proposal would significantly expand the benefits that can be taken into account to include non-emergency Medicaid, housing assistance, SNAP (food stamps), certain healthcare subsidies, and potentially the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – things people with disabilities rely on often. It would also heavily weigh medical conditions, insurance, and anticipated medical costs in public charge determinations. This proposal is unquestionably discriminatory against immigrants with disabilities. It makes it clear that this administration only wants you if you’re healthy, nondisabled, and wealthy. You can learn more about the public charge rule in our previous alert.
If the rule is finalized as proposed, disabled immigrants will be far less likely to come to the US and less likely to be permitted to stay. Moreover, immigrants currently residing in the US will likely be even more afraid to use the benefits they need in fear of being denied a green card. The proposed policy would be devastating to immigrant families, and it would disproportionately impact people with disabilities.
Take Action!
The comment period closes on December 10, 2018 at 11:59 Eastern. We have drafted sample comments that you can personalize and submit. Please feel free to use them as – is or to change them as much as you’d like to reflect your own experiences and opinions.
NCIL’s draft comments are available online and in Word and plain text.
Comments may be submitted online through the Federal eRulemaking Portal (preferred) or by mail.
- To submit comments online through the portal, visit regulations.gov/docket?D=USCIS-2010-0012 (or go to www.regulations.gov and enter USCIS-2010-0012 in the search bar) and click on “Comment Now”. You can either type your comments into the comment box or upload a document.
- To submit comments by mail, your comments must be postmarked by the comment submission deadline (December 10, 2018). Address your comments to: Samantha Deshommes, Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20529-2140. Please reference DHS Docket No. USCIS-2010-0012 in your correspondence.
