PIF's Sign-on Comment: What You Need to Know

Dear Allies,

As we enter the second half of the public comment period for the Department of Homeland Security’s public charge ANPRM, we want to share an update on the development of our sign-on comment. Keep reading below for when you can expect to join in the push to make our big-picture recommendations heard.

We also have several new partner resources to share this week, including two new fact sheets on newly arrived Afghans and their eligibility for public benefits, from NILC and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Public Charge ANPRM: Sign-on Comment Coming Next Week

In response to the ANPRM, our goals are to ensure that DHS hears our recommendations to make public charge policy less harmful and keep the administration moving forward swiftly on an NPRM that counters the chilling effect. As a result, one component of our comment strategy at the ANPRM stage is to show DHS that there is substantial consensus among hundreds of organizations around the country on the direction of the policy in the form of a sign on comment. We’re expecting the sign-on comment to be available the week of October 4, giving us a few weeks to collect signatures before the comment deadline. Once the comment is circulated for signatures, please share it widely with your partners and networks!

NEW: CMS Fact Sheet “Health Coverage Options for Afghan Evacuees”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a fact sheet to help states and advocacy organizations understand what health coverage options are available to Afghan Evacuees. Most evacuees arriving in the United States will be eligible for health coverage through Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Health Insurance Marketplace, or refugee medical assistance (RMA). RMA is provided through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and administered in most cases by state Medicaid programs. Eligibility for each coverage program depends upon the immigration status of the evacuee and the state where an evacuee is residing.

NEW: NILC factsheet “Afghan New Arrivals and Access to Public Benefits”

This new fact sheet NILC developed on Afghan New Arrivals and Access to Public Benefits. It provides a summary of newly arrived Afghans’ eligibility for federal public benefits - specifically it covers eligibility based on the immigration statuses named by ORR as the most common among newly arrived Afghans.

NEW: State-by-State Fact Sheets on CTC from NILC & CTAN

To ensure an equitable and recovery from COVID-19 – all immigrant families and every child must be included in relief efforts. Congress must take action to create a permanent solution through the budget reconciliation process to fight poverty for all children in the United States, including by permanently expanding the child tax credit (CTC) to include all children. Nationally, restoring eligibility for the CTC would impact over one million children. Use these one-pagers from the National Immigration Law Center and the Children Thrive Action Network to learn how children in immigrant families would be impacted in your state (available for 42 states).

Children’s HealthWatch Research & Town Hall

While federal relief efforts sought to reduce economic hardship for families, millions of immigrants were intentionally excluded from programs and/or unable to benefit from efforts due to structural barriers. Children’s HealthWatch’s virtual town hall this afternoon, September 29th at 12:30 pm ET will unveil new findings from a longitudinal study and engage in a conversation on the implications of this research for ongoing policy and program implementation discussions. This virtual event is part of Children’s HealthWatch’s Equity Can't Wait Town Hall Series, which sheds light on how racism and inequities erode the promise that is this country's children, and how public policies must, and can be changed, so that all children may thrive and have a real chance for healthy, fulfilled lives. Register Here!

Public Charge in the News

TIME – Immigrant families still facing awareness, paperwork, and other Child Tax Credit barriers.
NBC News – Immigrant workers are more vulnerable to employers’ wage theft, because concerns about immigration consequences make them less likely to report the crime.
Astoria Post – NYC nonprofits are holding an Immigrant Resource Fair to help local families access pandemic relief.

In Solidarity,

Eddie Carmona & Renato Rocha, on behalf of the PIF Team

Visit us at https://protectingimmigrantfamilies.org/

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