Dear John,
In this week’s newsletter: |
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Sign On: Oppose Health and Social Services Restrictions by HHS |
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued a reinterpretation of eligibility restrictions under the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) that restricts immigrant access to community health centers, mental health and substance abuse care, Head Start, and other public health and social services. Join PIF in speaking out against this attack on the health and wellbeing of immigrant families by signing onto our comment to HHS by August 12. Learn more and sign on via the link below.
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Benefits: HHS’s Notice Narrowing Immigrants’ Eligibility for Public Benefits Delayed in 20 States and Washington, DC |
On July 14, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a notice that re-interprets the meaning of “federal public benefit” in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) and restricts eligibility to a narrow set of “qualified immigrants,” leaving out many lawfully residing immigrants. Although HHS indicated that the notice took effect on the day it was issued (July 14, 2025), twenty-one states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block the notice. As part of the lawsuit, the states and HHS recently agreed to a stipulation that HHS would not enforce the PRWORA notice until September 10th in the states that are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. In other words, the notice does not currently apply in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Washington. Learn more about the notice in our explainer below.
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Resources: Templates and Additional Sign-Ons Against HHS Restrictions |
In addition to signing onto PIF’s comment above, resources are available to help you take other action against HHS eligibility restrictions. Find comment templates, talking points, an upcoming webinar, and more via the link below. |
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Partner Highlight: Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition |
Kudos to PIF partner MIRA Coalition for hosting a bilingual summer training series with 140 advocates across the state to increase their knowledge of immigration-related topics and learn about helpful resources for practice with immigrant populations. MIRA's training includes the ABCs of immigration policy, as well as "Rights, Resources, and Benefits for Immigrants," and equips advocates with up-to-date information to support their work with immigrant families in Massachusetts. Building on PIF training resources and MIRA Coalition's deep legal and policy expertise, the summer training series is spreading knowledge through key community advocacy partners and growing capacity across the state.
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Active Member Only Toolkits |
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Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition
P.O. Box 34573
Washington, DC 20043
United States |
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