Legal immigrants are rejecting food stamps and pulling their kids out of health care programs as the Trump administration considers penalizing those who use of food benefits. Leaked documents suggest that the Department of Homeland Security intends to propose a new rule, which would make it harder for immigrants who use public benefits, including Medicaid, food stamps, the earned income tax credit, and housing vouchers, to remain in the US.
Immigrants who enroll in these programs, including children with US citizenship, would be labeled a ‘public charge’, a determination currently applied to immigrants who use only subsidies for long-term care in an institution and cash help, such as welfare.
The number of non-citizens who may be deemed a public charge could increase from three to 47% in the US, according to a Migration Policy Institute analysis, which used census data of people enrolled in four of the major federal programs. Around 244,800 people could be affected just in Washington, a state-by-state breakdown revealed.
However, not even the proposal from the administration is final yet, and there is still uncertainty about who may be penalized for using which benefits. The media recently published another draft, which only referred to immigrants entering the US and applying to get legal permanent residency, rather than those seeking US citizenship, and who already have green cards. But, some immigrants are already panicking and withdrawing from benefit programs.