Act now to stop the proposed Public Charge rule.
On November 19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new proposed “public charge” rule that will endanger the health, safety and well-being of kids across the nation.
The federal government is taking public comments before finalizing the rule. Your voice can help stop changes that would harm children, create fear in communities and undermine anti-hunger and anti-poverty efforts nationwide.
When we say “no kid hungry” we mean “no kid hungry” and we take care of our neighbors. Bottom line: This rule would mean more hungry kids, and we need to push back against it.
Tell DHS: Don’t make parents choose between food and their families
Clicking this link will open another web browser where you can submit a comment for DHS’s review. Comments can be submitted until 11:59 pm on December 19, 2025.
Sample Comment Language
Copy-and-paste the content below for ease of sharing as part of your comment on the DHS site.
"I strongly oppose the proposed “public charge” rule. Families use programs like SNAP, Medicaid and housing assistance to keep their children healthy and safe. These are programs they are legally entitled to. Penalizing parents for seeking help for their kids puts children’s health, nutrition and well-being at risk and will force families to make impossible choices."
"Immigrant families are an integral part of our communities. They work, pay taxes and contribute to our country. These families help to make America strong, vibrant and more prosperous for everyone."
"Immigration decisions should not punish parents for caring for their children. I urge DHS to withdraw this harmful rule."
Public Charge 101
What is public charge?
“Public charge” is a test used during certain immigration processes to decide whether a person is likely to rely primarily on the government for support. For years, this test has focused on whether someone is primarily dependent on cash assistance programs or long-term institutional care.
What would change under this plan?
The new public charge proposal represents a serious threat to the health and wellbeing of millions of children and families by stripping out clarity from the existing guidance and opening the door to broadening what can be used against them. These families – our neighbors, coworkers and friends – could see DHS count the use of any health or social service program, past or present, against them, including SNAP, WIC and Medicaid, even when parents are simply participating in programs their families are eligible for under federal law.
Who is directly impacted?
This will hurt both immigrants and U.S. citizens. The proposal would get rid of the existing part of the public charge rule that says green card applicants won’t be penalized when U.S. citizen children or other eligible family members use benefits. That lack of clarity will fuel fear, chaos and confusion, forcing lawfully present immigrants to make impossible choices between ensuring their kids have the nutrition and care they need, and staying together as a family.
Does this hurt anyone else?
While public charge mostly applies to people seeking a green card through a family member or those coming to the U.S. from abroad, in reality, its impact goes much further. We’ve seen the lingering chilling effects of the 2019 public charge rule, and they’ve been serious. A 2022 study found that it may have stopped 3 to 4 million eligible kids in immigrant families from participating in programs like SNAP, which helps provide the nutrition and care kids need.
What’s a risk?
As we recover from the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and face ongoing cuts to nutrition programs, we shouldn’t be piling on policies that make it harder to feed kids. Policies like this put families in a no-win situation by forcing them to make impossible choices between putting food on the table and keeping their family together. This will drive millions of eligible children out of programs like SNAP and Summer EBT, and by extension, school meals, and deepen hunger in communities across the country. In the end, any policy that makes kids pay the price and increases the risk of a child going hungry is bad for our country
What can I do?
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 from this harmful proposal by submitting a comment to DHS, urging them to withdraw it.
What is the timeline?
The public comment period is open until December 19, 2025 at 11:59PM.
