White House “Public Charge” Rule Will Put Kids at Risk of Hunger

Contact and Context:

Meredith Jorss at 202.769.5554 or mjorss@strength.org

• 2018 Press Statement on the Proposed Rule
• 2018 Blog Post on the Proposed Rule
• Chefs and Culinary Professionals Oppose the Proposed Rule in 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, the White House finalized a rule to restrict immigration based on use or potential use of public benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The following is a statement from Share Our Strength’s Senior Vice President Lisa Davis on the impact these changes will have on children across the country.

“The White House is forcing low-income legal immigrant families to make impossible choices between preserving their immigration status and food and housing security for their children. 

Under this final rule, an immigrant’s legal status will be jeopardized by using or being deemed “likely to use” services like food assistance, housing vouchers or Medicaid, forcing low-income parents to face 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.  

We expect that the impact of this rule – which the Department of Homeland Security estimates will take 16-20 hours to read – will reach far beyond those directly covered and likely impact many U.S. citizen children living in immigrant families. To stay on the safe side, many families will withdraw from the programs for which they’re eligible that help feed, house and keep them healthy. This means more kids in America will be at risk of hunger, of losing stable housing, of getting sick.

Share Our Strength strongly opposes this rule and will continue to fight for children and families across the nation.”