2019 Public Charge Rule: 5 Things to Know & It's Impact on Kids

Posted By:

No Kid Hungry

| February 9, 2020

On Oct. 10, 2019, the White House announced a proposed “public charge” rule that will endanger the health, safety and well-being of children across the nation.

Here are five things to know about the 2019 public charge rule and its impact on kids.

1. Public Charge Isn't New

Public Charge isn’t new, but the proposed changes impact more people who are playing by the rules. Currently, “public charge” is a determination used by U.S. immigration officials to refer to someone who is, or is likely to become, primarily dependent on the government by using cash welfare assistance such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or federal assistance to pay for long-term institutional care under Medicaid.

Being designated a “public charge” can negatively affect a prospective immigrant’s application to enter the country and legal immigrants living in the U.S. applying for legal permanent residency.

The proposed regulations recently issued by the Department of Homeland Security would drastically expand the definition of “public charge” by including both cash and non-cash public benefits such as health care, food assistance and housing programs. It’s important to note that legal immigrants can only qualify for these non-cash benefits after they’ve lived in the U.S. for at least five years and have met all requirements.

Under this new rule, an immigrant’s legal status would be jeopardized by using services like food assistance, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), housing vouchers or Medicaid. An immigrant’s legal status could even be at risk if immigration officers determine that the individual is likely to use any of these public benefits in the future.

Click here to read more about how the Public Charge Rule is currently applied and how it will change.

2. Kids Could Face More Hunger

Kids could face more hunger, homelessness and poverty. If adults are discouraged from using SNAP or lose access to the program, the entire family will have less food available, putting them at risk of hunger. According to the Urban Institute, in 2015 alone the SNAP program itself lifted 3.8 million children out of poverty, demonstrating the critical role this program plays in ending childhood hunger. Similarly, if a parent loses housing assistance, the whole family could face housing instability and worse, homelessness.

3. More Kids Will Be Sick

Families forgoing critical medical assistance or withdrawing from these programs will face worse health outcomes, including increased chronic conditions and malnutrition among children.

Lack of proper healthcare could also increase the prevalence of communicable diseases and a failure of adhering to vaccination schedules.

Analysis shows that if Medicaid and CHIP disenrollment rates range from 15 percent to 35 percent, up to 2 million kids with a noncitizen parent could drop this critical medical coverage despite remaining eligible for these programs.

4. Kids' Education Will Suffer

Kids’ education will suffer. When kids don’t get the nutrition they need they’re less likely to concentrate in school, reducing their productivity and educational outcomes. Research shows that kids who have early access to SNAP benefits are more likely to graduate from high school than those who didn’t.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children covered by Medicaid and CHIP miss fewer school days due to illness, perform better in school and are more likely to graduate and attend college.

5. The 2019 Proposed Rule Will Create a "Chilling Effect"

The proposed rule will cause harm to the health and well-being of thousands of children, citizens, and immigrants alike. Local charities and emergency systems will be strained as families turn to emergency rooms, food banks, and shelter for help. Schools will be impacted by children who show up to class with empty stomachs, unable to concentrate and learn.

In addition to the impact on kids across the country, this rule will have a much broader chilling effect. It would force parents to make a terrible choice: Forgo services like food or medical care or live in fear that their families will not be able to stay together in the U.S.

That’s because many families will avoid using benefits that they are legally eligible for, including critical child nutrition programs, out of fear or confusion whether or not they are directly affected by the policy changes.

Join No Kid Hungry in telling the Department of Homeland Security how this rule would increase hunger in communities across our nation.

Take action today to protect kids across the country from this harmful Public Charge rule. Submit a comment to DHS, urging them to withdraw it.