[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]he xenophobic uglies in the Supreme Court voted in Trump’s racist public charge rule 5 - 4. This rule gives DHS the authority to deny immigrants legal entry or permanent status if they are deemed “likely to rely on public assistance.''
In other words, using Medicaid, food stamps, and housing assistance could get someone denied a green card. Putting it even simpler: This new rule will block out poor immigrants in favor of wealthier immigrants.
In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day which just took place yesterday, it is important to be aware and remember that this is not the first time a public charge rule was used to keep vulnerable people out. In the 1920s and 1930s, the US kept out Jewish people fleeing Nazi Germany with a similar public charge rule.
It is also important to address the “chilling effect,” which is when noncitizens drop out of programs they and their families are entitled to because of fear and misinformation. It’s estimated that between 2 million to 4.7 million children and adults will drop out of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program because of this rule, according to this study. Many noncitizens don’t qualify for public benefits in the first place, so most folks that do have access to them wouldn’t be at risk for being deemed a public charge in the first place.