“More children in America will be at risk of hunger, of losing stable housing, of getting sick.”
Contact:
Christy Felling at 202.320.4483 or cfelling@strength.org
Link to this statement: http://bit.ly/StrengthPublicCharge
WASHINGTON, DC – Late Saturday night, the Department of Homeland Security issued a proposed regulation that would sharply expand the criteria by which legal immigrants in the United States could be considered a “public charge,” thereby putting their immigration status at risk. The following is a statement from Share Our Strength’s Senior Vice President Lisa Davis on the detrimental impact these changes would have on children across the country.
“If the proposed rule becomes law, low-income legal immigrant families will be forced to make impossible choices between preserving their immigration status and the health and wellbeing of their children.
Under this new rule, an immigrant’s legal status would be jeopardized by using services like food assistance, housing vouchers or Medicaid. Low-income parents would be faced with two choices: Forgo services like food or medical care or live in fear that their families will not be able to stay together in the United States.
This will directly endanger tens of thousands of children. It will also indirectly affect millions. While the 447-page rule exempts programs like school meals, WIC and children’s health care, it is long, complicated and confusing. If history is our guide, to stay on the safe side, many families will withdraw from programs that help feed, house and keep their children healthy.
As a result, more children in America will be at risk of hunger, of losing stable housing, of getting sick.
The proposed changes will also have consequences well beyond the immigrant families to whom they apply. Local charities and emergency systems will be strained as families turn to emergency rooms, food banks and shelters for help. Schools will be impacted by children who show up to class with empty stomachs, unable to concentrate and learn.
When we make sure all of our nation’s children are nourished, housed and cared for, it creates a stronger society where children thrive and communities prosper. This proposed rule is a big step backward. Share Our Strength strongly opposes this rule and urges the White House to withdraw it.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 6 kids will face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org