NEWS & PRESS

Press Contact: Ed Walz | 202-374-8872 | ed@pifcoalition.org

Recent PIF statements and releases:

In addition to PIF press releases and blog posts, we track news coverage of related issues on this page. Browse the latest posts or use the filter system to find specific content.

May 17, 2023 | Economic security, Food security, Health, Housing

MANCHIN, TESTER VOTE WITH TRUMP AND STEPHEN MILLER

WASHINGTON — Two U.S. Senate Democrats voted today to support SJRes 18, a partisan resolution attacking “public charge” regulations. The resolution would reverse the Biden Administration regulations barring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from considering the use of health care, nutrition, or housing programs by lawfully-present immigrants applying for permanent residence (a “green card”). The Biden regulation replaced a Trump policy putting green card applications at risk if lawfully-present immigrants used such programs. Trump White House adviser Stephen Miller was the architect of the Trump policy, which undermined pandemic response and widened racial disparities in health, hunger, and poverty. A 2021 poll found that nearly half (46%) of people in immigrant families who needed help or health care during the pandemic did not seek it because of immigration concerns.

Apr 13, 2023

PIF STATEMENT ON EXPANSION OF HEALTH CARE ACCESS FOR DACA RECIPIENTS

Apr 06, 2023

Safety Net Barriers Add to Child Poverty in Immigrant Families

New York Times
On how safety net barriers like public charge and the five-year bar perpetuate poverty among kids in the families of lawfully-present immigrants.
Mar 22, 2023 | Economic security

¿Qué es un ITIN number y cómo sacarlo?

Enlace Latino NC
North Carolina’s Enlace Latino news site spotlights ITIN resources developed by PIF and partners NILC, CLASP, and UnidosUS. Learn more about ITINs and use our resources to help immigrant families in your community. Get the Your ITIN, Your Money resources.
Jan 09, 2023

Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Resurrect Trump Immigration Policy

PIF statement reacting to a U.S. Supreme Court decision not to consider litigation seeking to restore the Trump public charge policy.
Jan 06, 2023 | Children, Economic security, Food security, Health, Housing, Tax Credits

Advocates: Immigration Policy Unchanged by Texas Lawsuit

PIF statement responding to the filing of a lawsuit challenging the Biden public charge regulation.

Dec 23, 2022 | Economic security, Children, Food security, Health, Housing, Tax Credits

NEW BIDEN REGULATION CAN PROMOTE EQUITABLE PANDEMIC RECOVERY

Statement on the effective date of the Biden public charge regulation.
Nov 15, 2022 | Economic security, Food security, Health, Housing

Radio Bilingue’s Linea Abierta

Radio Bilingue
Great public charge segment (begins at 46:55) featuring PIF partner California Primary Care Association on RB’s flagship call-in program, Linea Abierta.
Nov 13, 2022 | Economic security, Health, Housing, Food security

Government services only help kids if families utilize programs

Las Vegas Sun
Great American Academy of Pediatrics op-ed urges the Biden Administration and local policymakers to commit to an outreach campaign aimed at informing immigrant families about the new public charge regulation.
Oct 28, 2022 | Housing

More L.A. Latinos falling into homelessness, shaking communities in ‘a moment of crisis’

Los Angeles Times
Deep dive into what’s driving California’s Latino homelessness spike, including public charge.
Oct 21, 2022 | Health, Food security, Children

Association of the Expiration of Child Tax Credit Advance Payments With Food Insufficiency in US Households

Journal of the American Medical Association
PIF partners Children’s HealthWatch find that the lapse in expanded Child Tax Credit payments drove a 25% increase in food insecurity, with immigrant families among those hardest hit.
Oct 21, 2022 | Economic security, Food security, Health, Housing, Tax Credits

¿Qué servicios me convierten en carga pública? Experta aclara dudas sobre la nueva regulación del gobierno Biden

Univision
Great network story on the Biden final public charge reg features PIF partner MomsRising.
Oct 17, 2022 | Economic security, Income security, Tax Credits

IRS sends letters to over 9 million who could miss out on valuable 2021 tax credits. Here’s how to claim that money.

CNBC
IRS offers assurances that claiming stimulus payment checks will have no effect on immigration status.
Oct 05, 2022 | Economic security

DACA Ruling Makes It Clear: Congress Must Act To Protect Immigrant Families

Reacting to a federal appeals court’s ruling that the DACA program is unlawful, PIF calls on Congress to act.
Sep 28, 2022 | Food security

At White House Conference on Hunger is a woman who’s doing the work in her community

NPR
Food bank CEO attending the White House Hunger Conference says an effective response must improve food security for immigrant families.
Sep 16, 2022 | Health

Amid pandemic uncertainties, Latino immigrants put trust in their ‘promotoras’

National Geographic
In-depth looks at how promotoras made the difference on vaccine outreach to immigrant families.
Sep 13, 2022

Neal, Pallone Applaud Biden Administration’s Final Public Charge Rule

U.S. House of Representatives
Chairmen of two key U.S. House of Representatives committees recognize the Biden final public charge regulation as a major win for immigrant families and the nation.
Sep 08, 2022 | Children, Economic security, Food security, Health, Housing, Income security, Tax Credits

ADVOCATES HAIL BIDEN REGULATION AS MAJOR WIN FOR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, URGE CONGRESS TO ACT

WASHINGTON — A new “public charge” regulation finalized today by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) adds critical protections to secure immigrant families’ access to the health and social services safety net. While the final regulation largely restores and improves upon the public charge policy in place for 20 years prior to the Trump administration, it also makes an improvement sought by more than 1,000 organizations coordinated by the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition (PIF): making it crystal-clear that DHS will not consider use of health care, nutrition, or housing programs when making immigration decisions. Reacting to the publication of the final public charge regulation, the PIF coalition issued the following statement by its director, Adriana Cadena:

Aug 30, 2022 | Economic security, Children, Income security

The expanded child tax credit kept 4 million kids out of poverty. Can it come back?

Vox.com
PIF partner UnidosUS on advocacy to expand immigrant families’ eligibility for state earned income credit programs.
Aug 29, 2022 | Food security

Biden’s goal to end hunger by 2030 and his new food conference, explained

NPR
Lawmakers urge Biden officials to prioritize outreach to immigrant communities in anti-hunger strategy.
Aug 23, 2022 | Economic security, Income security, Housing

Pace of Harris County home buyouts slower than hoped for after Hurricane Harvey

Houston Public Media
Public charge deters Texas immigrant families from seeking aid through hurricane buyout program.
Aug 18, 2022 | Health

Health, economic disparities continue to affect coronavirus hot spots

Washington Post

Local governments working to mitigate health disparities affecting DC-area immigrant families, including thawing the persistent public charge chilling effect.

Aug 11, 2022 | Income security

Some criticize Family Security Act for its citizen requirement

KSL-TV
Immigrant advocates critique a family economic aid bill sponsored by Utah Republican Senator Romney that includes mixed-status families but excludes undocumented families.
Aug 09, 2022 | Economic security, Children, Health, Income security, Nutrition, Housing

The Biden Administration’s final public charge regulation may be ready in weeks. What do advocates expect?

Radio Bilingue
PIF director Adriana Cadena talks about the upcoming public charge final regulation on the radio network’s live Linea Abierta program.
Aug 02, 2022 | Health

FL Families Urged to Sign Up for KidCare as CHIP Marks Silver Anniversary

Public News Service
Article on CHIP’s 25th anniversary quotes PIF partner Florida Health Justice Project offering assurances to immigrant families that CHIP enrollment will have no immigration consequences.
Jul 25, 2022 | Economic security, Health

Charities Aiding Immigrants and Refugees Fare Better When They Raise Money From Private Sources

Inside Philanthropy
Immigrants account for about 15% of the US population, and government makes decisions every day affecting their health and wellbeing, but less than one half of 1% of charitable giving supports advocacy work on behalf of immigrants.
Jun 15, 2022

Advocates Applaud Supreme Court Decision Rejecting Attack on Immigrant Families

June 15, 2022

Jun 07, 2022 | Children, Health

An Immigrant Child Story

Brooklyn Reader
Great op-ed by a pediatrician argues for passage of the LIFT the BAR Act.
Jun 04, 2022 | Economic security, Food security, Health, Housing

Tienes derecho a recibir asistencia del gobierno por la pandemia sin importar tu estatus migratorio: esto debes saber

Univisoin
PIF partner MomsRising / Mamas Con Poder featured in this article assuring immigrant families that they can use safety net programs without immigration consequences.
Jun 03, 2022 | Health, Children

Undocumented children deserve health care in N.J. and the sooner the better

Newark Star-Ledger
Joint commentary by the National Center for Children in Poverty and PIF partner CLASP urges NJ’s legislature to expand safety net access for children in immigrant families.
Jun 02, 2022 | Housing

California should back a program to prevent homelessness, not just react to it

Los Angeles Times
Columnist Jean Guerrero urges actions to mitigate homelessness, including addressing barriers to available supports, including public charge.
May 26, 2022 | Health, Children

With ‘Healthy Babies Equity Act,’ Maryland Will Join Other States that Provide Prenatal Care Regardless of Immigration Status

Maryland Matters
Maryland legislation expands of prenatal care to women in immigrant families.
May 26, 2022 | Health, Food security, Economic security, Children, Housing

Hirono Bill Critical to Equitable Pandemic Recovery, Advocates Say

PIF
PIF statement of support in response to Sen. Mazie Hirono’s introduction of the Senate version of the LIFT the BAR Act.
May 26, 2022

Hirono Bill Critical to Equitable Pandemic Recovery, Advocates Say

WASHINGTON — Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) today introduced legislation reversing the “five-year bar,” a 1996 policy that denies eligibility for federal assistance programs to millions in the families of immigrants who are lawfully present in the United States. The Lifting Immigrant Families Through Benefits Access Restoration (LIFT the BAR, S 4311) Act has 9 original cosponsors: Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Sen. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts). The Hirono bill is the Senate companion to legislation (HR 5227) sponsored by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington-7), which has earned more than 80 cosponsors since its introduction in September. January polling by the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition finds that ¾ of Americans favor the policy change proposed by the LIFT the BAR Act. In response to the bill’s introduction, the PIF coalition released the following statement from its director, Adriana Cadena:

May 25, 2022

Report finds child hunger is 55% higher than pre-pandemic levels in NYC

NYN Media
Food security nonprofit finds that hunger is 55% higher than before the pandemic, with immigrant families among those at greatest risk.
May 24, 2022 | Health

Overturning Roe Would Create More Barriers for Asylum-Seekers and Immigrants

Ms. Magazine
Former Refugee Council USA executive director argues that a SCOTUS reversal of Roe v. Wade would hit immigrant women even harder than most, by reinforcing immigrant families’ concerns about the effect of getting health care and economic aid on future immigration applications.
May 21, 2022 | Health

Perceptions of the Coronavirus and COVID-19 testing and vaccination in Latinx and Indigenous Mexican immigrant communities in the Eastern Coachella Valley

BMC Public Health
UC Riverside public health and health equity experts find the public charge chilling effect continues to depress COVID-19 testing and vaccination in Latinx families.
May 18, 2022 | Health

WA takes step toward expanding health insurance coverage for all residents, regardless of immigration status

Seattle Times
State ACA implementation agency asks feds for a waiver allowing Washington to offer health coverage regardless of immigration status.
May 12, 2022 | Children, Economic security, Food security, Health, Tax Credits

Food insecurity rises as families lose child tax credit payments, data shows

NBC News
On new research by our partners at Children’s Health Watch, finding that the expanded Child Tax Credit improves health and food security, but that immigrant and Latinx families aren’t getting it.
May 11, 2022 | Economic security, Food security, Housing, Health

Qué es la carga pública: resuelve tus dudas sobre los programas y ayudas que no afectan tus opciones migratorias

Univision Sacramento (KUVS)
Overview of current public charge policy, offering assurances and facts to families needing care or help.
Apr 25, 2022

1,000+ Organizations Urge Biden Administration to Protect Immigrant Families

WASHINGTON — A comment submitted today by 1,070 nonprofit organizations urges the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to act quickly in finalizing a “public charge” regulation that secures immigrant families’ access to the health and social services safety net. The comment was coordinated by the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition (PIF) and signed by national organizations and organizations in every state in the country, plus the District of Columbia.

Jan 20, 2022

New Poll: ¾ of Americans Back Restoring Safety Net Access for Immigrant Families

WASHINGTON — A poll released today by the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition (PIF) finds that 74% of Americans support legislation to reverse policies that restrict safety net access for immigrants who are lawfully present in the United States and their families. The Lifting Immigrant Families Through Benefits Access Restoration Act (LIFT the BAR Act, HR 5227), is sponsored by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington). The public opinion research firm BSP Research completed the poll January 10-14, surveying 1,200 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of 2.8%.

Dec 08, 2021

New Survey: Three Out of Four Immigrant Families Unaware Harmful Public Charge Policy Overturned

December 8, 2021