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Urging the US Department of Homeland Security to withdraw its proposed rule changing the definition of public charge, which would harm millions by undermining access to essential health, nutrition, and shelter for immigrants and their families in the City of Philadelphia and across the United States, and expressing opposition to the proposed rule as inhumane and contrary to public health.
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WHEREAS, Under current law, US Citizenship and Immigration Services evaluates whether potential immigrants are likely to be a "public charge" when considering visa and green card applications. Current policy allows officials to consider only two types of public benefits in a public charge determination: cash assistance for income maintenance and institutionalization for long-term care at government expense; and
WHEREAS, On October 10, 2018, the US Department of Homeland Security published a drastic change to the "public charge" rule, proposing that immigrants applying for visas and legal permanent residency may be negatively considered for legal status if they have accessed, or are deemed likely to access at any time in the future, essential programs that cover vital health care, nutrition, and housing needs; and
WHEREAS, Benefits that could be considered in a public charge determination would include Medical Assistance, food stamps (SNAP), public housing and housing vouchers, and Medicare Part D subsidies; and
WHEREAS, According to New American Economy, Philadelphia's immigrant residents paid $6.6 billion in taxes in 2016, a significant contribution to funding the very programs the proposed rule would penalize them for accessing; and
WHEREAS, The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that, under the proposed public charge test, more than 100 million people-about one-third of the U.S. population-would fail if they were required to take it today; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Homeland Security estimates that each year 382,200 green car...
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