NoHLA is an active participant in Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF), an impressive national campaign comprised of thousands of advocates across the country that helped lead the charge against the administration’s harmful Public Charge proposal. When the public comment period for the proposed rule closed on December 10, over 216,000 comments were delivered to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), more than doubling the campaign’s ambitious goal. Their initial sampling indicates that the vast majority of comments opposed this proposal.

The proposed rule is a radical departure from longstanding immigration policy and goes against Washington State’s values of tolerance, diversity, and inclusiveness. The proposal would create a much larger pool of immigrants who could be refused a green card if they have used benefits for which they were eligible.

NoHLA submitted comments that highlight how the rule change would create a chilling effect – making potentially 553,000 people in Washington State afraid to access programs their tax dollars help support, including limiting access to essential health care, nutritious food, and secure housing. The result would be increased poverty, hunger, ill health, and unstable housing with profound consequences for families’ wellbeing and long-term success. Among the most harmed would be children.

The public charge proposal is  not only bad policy but is legally problematic. Advocates have raised concerns about violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the U.S. Constitution.

What’s next? First of all, it’s important to remind everyone that the proposed rule has not been finalized. DHS must review and respond to every unique issue presented in the comments. Meanwhile, the PIF campaign will continue fighting against the public charge proposal, combatting the chilling effect of Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda, and working to build a positive policy agenda for immigrant families so that no one is denied the essentials of life because of where they were born. And NoHLA will be working alongside advocates in Washington in our state’s Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition (PIF-WA) to do the same.