The Trump administration has announced that immigrants in the United States who legally use public benefits such as food assistance and Section 8 housing vouchers could be denied green cards under a new “Public Charge” ruling. The move, aimed at keeping out people the administration deems a drain on the country, could force poor immigrants who rely on public assistance for food and shelter to make a difficult choice between continuing to access programs their families need, and risking the loss of their legal immigration status.
Federal law has always required those seeking green cards to prove they will not be a burden and has taken into consideration the acceptance of cash benefits. The government has never before considered the use of other public benefits, like assistance for food, thus widely expanding the breadth of who is considered a “public charge”. The administration has announced that this ruling would affect 382,000 people a year. The rule would affect people seeking to immigrate to the United States permanently and others who are in the country on temporary visas — including students and workers — who seek to stay permanently.
As Christians, we affirm the dignity of all human beings made in the image of God, and therefore, policies that force families to choose between immigration status or being able to feed and house their children are not policies we support.
Letters with personal stories are most effective!
We encourage you to write briefly about why this ruling is damaging and how immigrants have blessed you!
Read a Backgrounder or return to the Office of Social Justice website.