Immigrant Families Poll Finds Persistent Chilling Effect

With support from our partners at No Kid Hungry, PIF released a poll in December 2021, exploring immigrant families' awareness of and attitudes toward public charge. The poll surveyed 1,000 individuals nationwide, most Latino or Asian American / Pacific Islander. Respondents have at least one family member who is not a U.S. citizen. The survey found that:

• Only 22% of immigrant families had heard “a lot” about DHS’ action to reverse the Trump Administration public charge policy
• But 50% said that knowledge made them more likely to use safety net programs when necessary
• About half (46%) of respondents whose families needed help during the pandemic declined to apply because of immigration concerns