Last week, the government made some changes to the Public Charge Rule. The Public Charge Rule is about what immigrants should get to live in the U.S. The Public Charge Rule says the government can stop certain immigrants from staying in the country or becoming U.S. citizens. The government can stop immigrants from living in the U.S. that could become a “public charge”. 

A “public charge” is someone who uses benefit programs. Or, it can be someone the government thinks might need to use benefit programs later. Benefit programs are government programs that help people who don’t make a lot of money. Some kinds of benefit programs are:

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). These programs give people money to live. 
• Medicaid. This program helps people get health care.
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This program helps people get food. SNAP used to be called “food stamps”.
• Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This program helps kids get health care.
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This program gives money to families with children that don’t make a lot of money. 

The Public Charge Rule has been part of the law for a while. But before, less immigrants counted as a public charge. Immigrants who got money from the government, like SSI and TANF, counted as a public charge. Immigrants who got put in institutions by the government counted as a public charge. But no other immigrants counted as a public charge. And the government could only look at the benefit programs immigrants used, not their family members.

The new rules change who counts as a public charge. The new changes say that a “public charge” can be any immigrant who needs any benefit programs. The new changes also talk about family members of immigrants. If their family members use benefit programs, an immigrant can get counted as a public charge.

These changes to the Public Charge rule will hurt many immigrants with disabilities.

The Public Charge Rule is not fair to all immigrants. Nobody should have to leave the U.S. just because they need help from the government. But the rule is extra unfair to immigrants with disabilities. 

Many people with disabilities need benefit programs to live. Immigrants with disabilities use benefit programs more than other immigrants. But the changes to the Public Charge Rule say immigrants who need benefit programs should not get to live in the U.S. 

That means the government thinks immigrants with disabilities should not get to live in the U.S. This idea is ableist. It shows that the government thinks disabled people do not have lives worth living.

The changes to the Public Charge Rule will hurt immigrants with disabilities and their families. The rule will stop immigrants from getting help they need in the U.S. Immigrants might not sign up for benefits programs as much. They might be scared of getting kicked out of the U.S. for using benefit programs. 

Many immigrants have children who are U.S. citizens. These immigrants could end up getting kicked out of the U.S. for trying to get help for their children. That means disabled children would lose the family members they need for support. 

Instead, immigrants might decide not to sign up for benefit programs for their children. This means disabled children of immigrants won’t get the support they need. Either way is not fair to immigrant families.

People with disabilities should get the healthcare and services they need. It should not matter whether or not someone is an immigrant. ASAN thinks the Public Charge Rule breaks the law because it treats disabled immigrants unfairly. We will keep fighting back against unfair rules like the Public Charge Rule.