Help us protect access to health, nutrition and housing assistance for immigrant families and children! TAKE ACTION

Dear Friend,

June is Immigrant Heritage Month! Immigrants are a strength for our nation’s communities and economy. Immigrants make up 18 percent of small business owners with employees, [1] creating 8 million jobs across the country. [2] During the pandemic the community’s endless strength was further highlighted as they took on many essential roles – particularly as caregivers and health care providers – working hard as always to keep families, children, and their communities safe and healthy! 

Right now, we have an opportunity to show appreciation for immigrant caregivers and all immigrant families by defending them from right-wing attacks! Tell your Representatives to protect immigrant families and children’s access to health, nutrition and housing! *When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your information.

What’s happening? Last month the U.S. Senate took a vote to revoke Biden’s Public Charge Rule and soon the House will too! Public Charge is a longstanding wealth test against immigrants that denies visas and green cards to someone if they are deemed likely to depend on government assistance anytime in the future. The rule itself had rarely been used before President Trump weaponized it to create confusion and fear within the immigrant community. Under President Trump, immigrants working in low wage jobs, like childcare, where an estimated one third of workers are experiencing food insecurity, had to choose between accessing public programs they were eligible for, like SNAP, and possibly jeopardizing their ability to get green cards in the future.

Last year, President Biden led with fairness and compassion to roll back Trump’s cruel public charge rule and support hard-working immigrant families and children creating a clearer and moderate framework so families need not fear accessing much needed assistance to feed and care for their kids. But now some Republican lawmakers want to snatch that away! 

Sign on! We must protect access to health, nutrition and housing assistance for immigrant families and children! *When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your information.

The Public Charge Rule the Biden administration published was a welcomed change and badly needed – not just because it puts an end to an unfortunate chapter in our history during which a heartless, anti-immigrant administration used public policies to intimidate and punish immigrant families, but also because it makes clear that neither use of health, nutrition and housing assistance nor benefits used by a U.S. citizen child will not be considered in citizenship applications of their family members.

Immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, pay billions in taxes, a 2019 assessment showed more than $6 billion was paid in taxes and in 2010 these continuous contributions from undocumented immigrants added to more than $12 billion in tax revenue to Social Security. [3] 

As moms we all want every child and family to be able to access food, housing, and health care, every immigrant to be treated with compassion and respect, and our government to reject racism and anti-immigrant sentiment in all its forms. This attack on Biden’s Public Charge Rule is yet another attack on immigrants and undermines immigrant children’s health. Continued fear and confusion will keep parents from accessing the health and nutrition programs their kids need! 

Don’t forget to add your name! When you click, you’ll automatically sign on to our letter that reads: 

Members of Congress: 

Moms were thrilled when the Biden administration replaced Trump’s cruel and racist ‘public charge’ rule with a fair, compassionate rule that allowed hard-working immigrant families and children to access food, health care, and other essential services they need to thrive. 

We must reject racism and anti-immigrant sentiment in all its forms. Creating confusion around the resources will ultimately keep children and families from accessing food, housing, and health care, is wrong. Many immigrants work in low wage jobs in the economy, like childcare, where one third of all childcare providers experience food insecurity because of low wages. No one working in these and other essential jobs should be prevented from accessing the public benefits they are eligible for because of the fear that receiving these benefits will adversely impact their immigration status in the future.  

Please support all efforts to protect immigrant families who have tirelessly worked to support our communities. We urge you to reject any proposals to reverse Biden’s Public Charge Rule that would endanger immigrant families and children. 

**Make sure to sign our letter now calling on Representatives to stop attacks on Biden’s Public Charge Rule.*When you click, you’ll automatically sign on if we already have your information. 

The more people who speak out, the bigger our impact. Please take a moment to forward our action link to your friends and family and share it on social media: [link]

Together we are a powerful voice for the wellbeing of immigrant children and parents. 

- Claudia, Donna, Xochitl and the whole MomsRising / MamásConPoder team

[1] U.S. Small Business Administration: An Overview of Immigrant Business Ownership

[2] New American Economy: Immigrants Create American Jobs

[3] CNN: Undocumented Immigrants are Paying Their Taxes Today, too

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