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Dear John,

I'm reaching out because the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) needs your support today. I won't sugarcoat things--our immigrant and refugee friends and neighbors are under attack from the current administration. There is real fear in our community, and serious changes to immigration policy are in the pipeline. ILCM's work in Minnesota is needed now more than ever. [link removed] I'm asking you to make a donation today to help ensure that we can continue providing no-cost legal services, educating Minnesotans about the value that immigrants and refugees add to our community, and advocating for fair and humane local, state, and federal policies.

One of the most consequential shifts in immigration policy that ILCM and Minnesota's immigrant communities have seen recently is the administration's change to the [link removed] Public Charge rule as published in the federal register on August 12th. If an injunction does not stop the rule, it will take effect on October 15th. Currently, the public charge rule has a narrow application, as the government can deny immigration benefits to individuals who use three cash-based assistance programs like Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and long-term institutional care. Under the new rule, anyone who "receives one or more designated public benefits for more than 12 months in aggregate within a 36 month period" is designated a public charge. The number of benefits considered now include SSI, TANF (and similar state and local programs), as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), some parts of Medicaid, and some housing assistance--all programs which many working people depend on. Not only does this change make it much more difficult for immigrants to avoid the "public charge" designation, but it will also keep immigrants from applying for assistance programs out of fear. This change will seriously impact the safety and quality of life of many of Minnesota's immigrants and their families. Even before its effective date, the "chilling effect" of the rule has already begun. One in seven adults in immigrant families reported forgoing public benefits in 2018 because of fear of the public charge rule. Unfortunately, this is only one of the ways in which immigrant communities feel besieged.

Immigrants in Minnesota and around the country have experienced fear at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since its establishment in 2003. Now more than ever that fear is legitimized. The Acting Director of ICE, Matthew Albence, is nothing short of hostile where our immigrant neighbors are concerned. As reported by Buzzfeed News, his colleagues describe him as "enforcement minded" and has long focused on "making deportation officers more efficient and more effective." He has played a crucial role in shaping the contentious immigration policy of the current administration. He embodies the stunning lack of compassion that ICE has increasingly come to display. As ICE's tactics grow ever more harmful, fear and trepidation in immigrant and refugee communities continues to grow.

That is where the work of ILCM comes in--work that you can help us accomplish. [link removed] A donation today in any amount helps to ensure that we can continue standing up for Minnesota's immigrants and refugees. I can't thank you enough for standing with our community now when our work is needed more than ever.

In solidarity,

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Lenore Millibergity

Interim Executive Director

Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota

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