By: Eskedar Girmash, Elizabeth Edwards, and Catherine McKee
Executive Summary
We support the comments submitted by the Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) campaign and submit additional comments in response to the questions posed in the NPRM. We share PIF’s view that the nation is stronger when we welcome people who are willing to contribute to the country. We believe U.S. immigration laws should not discourage immigrants and their family members from seeking health care, nutrition, housing, or other benefits for which they are eligible. NHeLP urges DHS to quickly improve and finalize the proposed rule. We also urge DHS to adopt a narrow definition of public charge, and to ensure the regulations include clear guardrails to prevent a public charge determination from being used as a tool to discriminate against people of color, women, people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals with limited English proficiency, or anyone else.
