North Carolina, Charlotte – Immigrant families avoided enrolling their eligible members in certain government aid programs, for fear of suffering immigration consequences, according to a study by the Urban Institute.
According to report from the Urban Institute published at the end of August, one in four adults in mixed-status families, did not participate in government aid programs in 2022, for fear of endangering themselves or one of their members for a future application to the “green card".
These fears were especially prominent during the “Trump era” that considered the use of non-monetary public benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid or housing assistance, in applications for green cards or temporary visas.
“Before and after the publication of the new rule, immigrants avoided public benefits for fear of jeopardizing their future immigration status.” This is what the entity points out.
The report highlights that despite a repeal of the Trump-era “public charge” regulation and the continued need for support, immigrant families express reluctance to participate in public programs during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beginning December 23, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began enforcing the public charge final rule . The United States immigration authorities stopped considering that public health and other benefits that eligible members of a family have, prevent them from obtaining the permanent residence in the future to their Protocols as established by the Trump government (2017-2021).
The study is based on data from the Urban Institute's December 2022 Wellbeing and Basic Needs Survey (WBNS).
Fear even in families where everyone is a citizen
The report found that about 13% of adults from immigrant families reported that they or a family member avoided applying for or participating in non-monetary government benefit programs such as Medicaid, SNAP or housing subsidies due to concerns about the green card in 2022.
This proportion remained statistically unchanged from previous years.
On the other hand, 25% of adults from mixed-status families did not participate in safety net programs in 2022. The main cause was green card concerns.
The “chilling effect” even reaches homes where all family members are naturalized citizens or born in the United States (13%), and 7% of adults in all-citizen families reported avoiding safety net programs because of the “chilling effect.”
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Encourage families to use program services for their eligible members
Immigrant families experience higher levels of hardship than other families. Barriers to accessing the safety net, such as fear of the consequences of immigration, can further exacerbate them.
Ensuring equitable health and economic well-being for immigrant families will require efforts to reduce their avoidance of government assistance programs due to fears related to immigration status.
The Urban Institute report identified several policy and practice recommendations. If implemented robustly, they could mitigate the “chilling effect.” At the same time, they would encourage immigrant families to enroll in the benefit programs for which they are eligible.
Those recommendations include:
-Federal agencies should partner with trusted community organizations to leverage their linguistic and cultural competency. These organizations can help close the gap and connect families to safety net programs.
-Federal agencies should offer financial support to trusted community organizations for their engagement work. The funding could help mitigate lingering chilling effects on program participation among eligible immigrant families. At the same time, it would improve communication about the importance of seeking necessary services
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