“Public Charge” would make it harder for immigrant families to stay together and meet their basic needs.

By targeting low-income immigrant seniors who may need extra help from programs like Medicaid, the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (“Extra Help”) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), changes to public charge would ensure that the American Dream is only available to immigrants who are healthy and wealthy and who do not have disabilities. If the public charge rule is enacted, it would threaten the ability of immigrants to obtain permanent residency (green cards) if they have ever needed help, or were likely to need help, from certain government programs and make it difficult for multi-generational families to care for one another and succeed.

The Public Charge rule is open for public comments until December 10, 2018. We encourage everyone to use the Justice in Aging resources below to help you comment on the rule’s particular impacts on older adults and caregivers.

Learn More and Take Action

Download the Fact Sheets

• Public Charge: A Threat to the Health & Well-being of Older Adults in Immigrant Families
• Public Charge: A Threat to the Health & Well-being of California Older Adults in Immigrant Families

Comment on the Rule

Use the information in our fact sheets to write your comments. For California, you can use these individual template comments, and then submit them here. Submit national comments at Our American Story or National Council on Aging.

Read Justice in Aging’s comments (submitted December 10, 2018)

If you are an organization, get template comments, here. (dated November 13)

Watch the Webinar

Justice in Aging worked with the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) to present a training on public charge to advocates for older adults. The webinar offered an overview of the existing public charge rule and key proposed changes, including the addition of certain government benefits older adults rely on, and details on how immigration officials make the public charge determination. Watch the webinar for tips on how you should be counseling your older adult clients and what you can do to fight back against this harmful proposal.

Other Resources

Webinar: Immigrants’ Access to Healthcare and Other Public Benefits
Explainer: Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS or “Extra Help”)
Looking for resources specific to the disability community? The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities created a number of resources on the rule’s impact on people with disabilities. They can be accessed here.

Join the Conversation on Social Media

Download and use the older-adult focused Public Charge graphics below and use the hashtag #ProtectFamilies when posting.

Follow @NILC_org and @CLASP_DC and visit protectingimmigrantfamilies.org to learn about more partners in this effort.