San Francisco, CA– The Trump Administration published “public charge” regulation to the Federal Register today, ushering the proposed policy closer to reality. “Public charge” is a label used by the US government when determining that an immigrant could become dependent on government assistance. The highly anticipated proposal nativistically restricts immigration flow, capitalizes on racist stereotypes portraying immigrants siphoning off welfare, and penalizes working class immigrant families of color for accessing life-saving programs.
The public has 60 days to respond to this proposal through the Federal Register before the Department of Homeland Security issues a final public charge rule. Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) will be educating community members who wish to learn more about the impact of the regulation, and rally community resistance against this harmful attack on immigrant families.
The published regulation would impact potential future sponsors of immigrants, and those who are applying to become lawful permanent residents (LPRs). It increases the income threshold for those hoping to overcome the “public charge” test to an unrealistic 250% above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) ($63,000 annually for a family of 4). Additionally, access to means-tested healthcare, nutrition, and housing programs could negatively affect an applicant’s ability to become a green card holder. Through this proposal, the Trump Administration scapegoats immigrants for accessing benefits that enable dignified living, erodes social safety nets, and attacks the last lines of defense against growing socio-economic inequity.
“Immigrant families can fight back against this inhumane and cruel dilemma that the Trump Administration has manufactured. Participation in public comment elevates civic voices of disenfranchised communities, and affirms our right to sustainable lives”, says Hong Mei Pang, Director of Advocacy at Chinese for Affirmative Action.
CAA will be hosting a workshop series for Chinese-speaking community members, beginning on Monday, October 15, 2018, from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM, on a biweekly basis. Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP with CAA.
Community members are encouraged to contact CAA’s Immigrant Rights program at 415.761.3222 to RSVP, for legal screenings and referrals if they have any questions about how the proposal would affect them, or to submit their public comments during this 60-day period.
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Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) is a community-based civil rights organization in San Francisco. Our mission is to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy in the United States. We advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial injustice.
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