Some people are upset at a new federal policy that took effect on Friday. According to an article by Frizz Flake published in the Deseret News, this policy “gives immigration officers broader discretion to consider whether certain immigrants may rely on public benefits.”
The
Department of Homeland Security says the new policy will remove restrictive
regulations and allow immigration officers to grant admission on a case-by-case
basis.]
“Under
@POTUS Trump, DHS is restoring the basic principle that immigrants must be able
to support themselves,” the Department of Homeland Security posted on X.
Individuals,
advocacy groups and healthcare providers who oppose these changes have raised
concerns about the potential negative impact on immigrants and their families,
particularly those receiving public benefits such as Medicaid and food stamps.
The public charge test, explained
Ever
since Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1882, the U.S. government has
classified individuals it believes likely to become dependent on government
welfare as a “public charge” and has denied their entry into the United States.
Traditionally,
immigration officers considered factors such as age, health and financial
status when granting individuals admission into the country.
What has changed?
In
2022, the Biden administration formally defined a public charge as someone who is
“primarily dependent on the government for subsistence.”
Under
this definition, immigration officers could only consider direct cash
assistance when evaluating green card applicants. This primarily included
enrollment in programs such as Supplemental Security Income and Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families.
The
new policy, effective Friday, allows officers to weigh a much wider array of
factors, including participation in Medicaid, food stamps, housing assistance
and financial aid for college.
Possible effects in Utah
Utah
is one of only 15 states that uses state revenue to provide health coverage to
children regardless of their immigration status. The state argues that covering
children preventively is cheaper than treating them in emergency rooms, and
healthy children perform better in school and become more productive adults.
Because
of the vagueness of the new public charge rule and what qualifies as receiving
a public benefit, Utah’s built-in safety net specifically created for children
in immigrant families could now count against a parent’s green card
application.
This
could result in families walking away from state coverage out of fear,
resulting in uninsured children and the state of Utah losing the return on its
own policy investment.
What Utah families should know
DHS
expects the new policy to reduce annual federal and state spending by
approximately $13 billion due to immigrant families disenrolling or forgoing
enrollment in public benefits programs.
Much
of that disenrollment is expected to occur before any green cards are actually
denied. Because the new rule doesn’t specify which benefits will count against
applicants, the ambiguity itself acts as a deterrent that pushes families to
drop coverage.
