As we work together to prepare for implementation of the DHS Public Charge Rule, we also want to alert you to two additional proposals from USCIS.


** New Opportunities to Fight Back
Against Harmful USCIS Proposals
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Dear Allies,

As we shared on Friday, USCIS announced ([link removed]) an effective date for the agency’s public charge rule. The final rule will only apply to applications and petitions submitted on or after February 24, 2020 (except for in the State of Illinois). DHS will not consider an immigrant’s receipt of the newly listed benefits before Feb. 24, 2020 in the public charge determination. NILC and CLASP responded to the news in this joint statement ([link removed]) .

For more information on the state-of-play of public charge policies in the U.S. and abroad, check out our recently updated Fact Sheet for Advocates ([link removed]) . For information on what’s in the final rule, we recommend this Public Charge FAQ Document ([link removed]) . For PIF partners working with affected immigrant families, updated community education resources are available on the Know Your Rights ([link removed]) section of our website.

As we work together to prepare for implementation of the DHS Public Charge Rule, we also wanted to alert you to two additional proposals from USCIS that would negatively impact immigrant families with low incomes. Below is more information and resources to help you take action now.


** Sponsor Information Collection:
Comment Period Ends on February 18
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USCIS has proposed an information collection ([link removed]) that would ask federal, state, and local agencies using the SAVE system to enter information about sponsor deeming and reimbursement. These proposed changes to the SAVE database (housed by USCIS, where it is used to verify benefit applicants’ immigration status) would collect information about whether a benefits granting agency deemed a sponsor’s income in processing a benefits application and whether/how it pursued sponsors for reimbursement. This information collection follows a presidential memo and agency guidance ([link removed]) on sponsor deeming and reimbursement issued last year. Comments are due by February 18. The PIF Campaign has developed a draft template comment
([link removed]) for our partners. We also have a fact sheet on sponsor deeming and liability ([link removed]) in case you get questions from community members about this topic.


** Fee Hike Rule:
Comment Period Ends on February 10
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USCIS has reopened their comment period ([link removed]) for a proposed change to the fee schedule ([link removed]) for an additional 15 days, ending on February 10. This impending rule change would hike fees for immigration benefits, blocking low-income immigrants from gaining status or citizenship. The proposal would get rid of all non-statutory fee waivers, among other price hikes to the fee schedule (e.g., $50 asylum application fee, 80%+ increase in the naturalization fee and transfer of $200 million of USCIS revenue to ICE). Our partners at CLINIC have developed a template organizational comment. ([link removed])

Thank you for your continued partnership!

Madison Allen, Center for Law and Social Policy, &
Connie Choi, National Immigration Law Center

Visit us at [link removed]

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