Hi there — this alarming statistic comes from a recent report by the Urban Institute, which highlights the ongoing consequences of Trump’s now-defunct public charge rule.

As a reminder, in 2020, the Trump administration expanded the definition of who might be a public charge to advance their cruel immigration agenda and dissuade low-income immigrants from accessing nutrition, health care, and housing programs. This "wealth test" generated significant confusion and fear, ultimately discouraging immigrants from applying for the benefits they were eligible for — during a global pandemic.

Throughout Trump's presidency, the National Immigration Law Center and a broad coalition of our allies generated over 250,000 public comments in opposition to the rule and successfully challenged Trump’s cruel wealth test in the courts.

Following President Biden's election, we continued our efforts, advocating for a new rule under the Biden administration, which was successfully implemented in 2022.

Even though Trump’s public charge rule is long gone, data shows that immigrant families are still fearful of accessing the essential programs they need to thrive.

We still have a lot of work to do to educate and support immigrant communities — and we need your help. Fortunately, our partners at the Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) coalition have some important resources, in multiple languages, to help navigate many of the questions communities have about public charge.

Join us in combating misinformation and providing accurate information about public charge by sharing PIF’s resources with your friends and family >>>

Thank you for your partnership,

Nico Espiritu 
Deputy Legal Director 
National Immigration Law Center