December 12, 2018. This article discusses the work of advocacy organizations who are opposed to the Trump Administration’s proposed “public charge” rule, which would make it harder for immigrants to obtain a green card or citizenship if they have received or are likely to receive specific public benefits. The article goes on to discuss the efforts of organizations to post comments during the 60-day comment period that ended Monday in order to show their opposition and the harm that this rule could do to immigrants.

At a press conference on Monday, leaders of multiple national advocacy organizations reiterated their opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed “public charge” rule, which would make it harder for immigrants who receive public services to acquire green cards or become citizens. With Monday marking the final day for the public to comment on the proposed regulation changes, leaders from groups like National Immigration Law Center, Planned Parenthood, and the UndocuBlack Network convened to encourage one last push against the rule.

Wan’s organization has joined with immigration-focused advocacy groups to oppose the public charge rule, because, as a health-care organization, Planned Parenthood claims it can’t serve immigrant populations’ health needs if immigrants are too scared to access public services for fear that it could negatively affect their citizenship chances. There’s already evidence that immigrants—even those not affected by the potential changes—have shown a sudden unwillingness to access essential public services like health care or food assistance. As Pacific Standard reported in October:

A report from the Fiscal Policy Institute estimates that 24 million people will feel a “chilling effect,” meaning they will be too frightened to accept benefits—even if they are not directly impacted by the rule. … Immigrants have asked to be removed from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which is not included in the rule, citing faulty advice from their attorneys.

Here is the link to Pacific Standard.