‘Public Charge’ Proposed Rule Devastating to Immigrants & Families

Threatens to Imperil Public Health Initiatives

New York, New York  10/2/2018 — African Services Committee condemns in the strongest possible terms the administration’s proposed revision to the “public charge” rule, and stands in solidarity with immigrant families and their allies across the country against any expansion of the “public charge” provisions. 

When applying for permanent residency or “green card,” U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) must determine whether an immigrant is likely to become a public charge. The administration is proposing to dramatically expand the types of public benefits which USCIS may consider in its determination regarding whether someone is likely to become a public charge and therefore ineligible for permanent residency.

Read more: ‘Public Charge’ Proposed Rule Devastating to Immigrants & Families

ASC Attorney Volunteers at Mexico/U.S. Border to Counsel to Asylum Seekers

In July, ASC attorney Maura was awarded a volunteer attorney stipend by Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) to volunteer for a week with legal service organization the Kino Border Initiative / Iniciativa Kino para la Frontera, in Nogales, Arizona to provide vital information and counsel to asylum seekers at the border, ensuring that their rights are protected.

Watch the video here.

ASC /ICLC Attorneys Assist Detainees at Remote ICE Detention Facility

As the current administration continues its assault on immigrants, detention centers are over capacity and asylum seekers are being sent to remote detention centers around the U.S. Places where there are no attorneys who can help them. They have no rights and they are treated as less than human. ASC and ICLC attorneys recently went the extra mile, literally, by traveling to provide pro bono legal counsel to help these asylum seekers.

Read more: ASC /ICLC Attorneys Assist Detainees at Remote ICE Detention Facility

OpEd: 'Public Charge' Rule Could Be Devastating to HIV-Positive Immigrants

By ASC Advocacy Director Amanda Lugg for TheBody.com

Just when you thought it couldn't get much worse for immigrants, it could get much worse for immigrants.

In late 2017, the Trump administration announced its intention to impose harsher rules for determining when immigrants are considered a "public charge" -- a legal determination that can block an individual's path to permanent residency (i.e., obtaining a green card).

Under U.S. immigration law, a person seeking a green card through a family relationship must show that they "are not likely to become a public charge," which under current law is someone who is unable to support themselves and thus likely to depend on government benefits for income. Historically, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has only excluded applicants based on continuous receipt of cash benefits or long-term institutionalization at government expense, so as not to "inhibit access to non-cash benefits that serve important public interests."

Click here to read the full article.