NHeLP submitted comments urging the Department of State (DOS) to rescind the Trump Administration’s overly broad rule, which went beyond the historical understanding and use of the term “public charge.” In addition, our comment highlights how the continued existence of the DOS Rule causes a chilling effect on public benefit enrollment and utilization by immigrant communities that goes beyond the scope of the rule itself and causes negative health outcomes that are particularly dangerous in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Section 1557 generally prohibits different treatment (also referred to as “intentional discrimination”) and discriminatory effects (also referred to as…