On Wednesday, Oct. 10, the Department of Homeland Security published a new regulatory proposal that will make it much more difficult for immigrants with documented status residing in the U.S. to remain in the country if they are using or likely to use programs like Medicaid Part D, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Section 8 housing vouchers and other forms of public assistance.
Families could be denied green cards or permanent residency in the U.S. based on an immigration officer's guess that they might receive public benefits someday. People will be forced to make choices between accessing vital programs and keeping their family together.
The Williams Institute estimates there are 637,000 LGBTQ-identified individuals among the adult authorized immigrant population, and an estimated 24,700 non-citizens who are part of a same-sex couple with a U.S. citizen.
Over 600 organizations including CenterLink, a Florida-based LGBTQ nonprofit, have already opposed this rule.
"This radical change prioritizes wealth over families, and opens the door to racial, and religious and health-based discrimination," said a CenterLink press release. "These programs are designed and proven to improve participants' health, well-being, and economic security. When our most vulnerable populations succeed, the entire community benefits. And, our immigration laws already contain provisions limiting those who are likely to be dependent on federal aid. This proposed change is unnecessary and cruel."
Written comments and related material to this proposed rule, including the proposed information collections, must be received to the online docket via regulations.gov on or before Dec. 10, 2018. These material may also be mailed to Samantha Deshommes, Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20529-2140. To ensure proper handling, please reference DHS Docket No. USCIS-2010-0012 in your correspondence. Mail must be postmarked by the comment submission deadline.
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