Public Benefits

Trump Administration Public-Charge Rule Would Amplify Harms to Immigrant Families

A Trump administration proposed rule that would give government adjudicators wide discretion in deciding when public benefits use can be held against green-card applicants and prospective immigrants could discourage many eligible households, including those with U.S.-citizen children, from accessing health, nutrition, and education supports—with significant implications for well-being, as this short read explains.

Can the Trump Administration’s “Self-Deportation” Campaign Succeed?

The Trump administration's “self-deportation” campaign pairs incentives for immigrants to leave with threats of steep fines and arrests for staying. Historical precedents suggest limited voluntary uptake.

A man boards a repatriation charter flight to Guatemala.

The Health Costs to Children of Stepped-Up U.S. Immigration Enforcement

Evidence suggests heightened U.S. immigration enforcement will have major and lasting effects on the physical and mental health of unauthorized immigrants and their children.

A sad mother and child sit in a dark hallway.

Language Access for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency

Immigrants and the Use of Public Benefits in the United States

Most noncitizens in the United States face significant restrictions on access to federally funded public benefits—particularly unauthorized immigrants.

A line drawing of a city landscape with people

Imminent End of Formal U.S. Pandemic Emergencies Marks New Era in Immigration Realm

The end of U.S. pandemic emergency declarations will shrink public benefits and reduce health-care access for U.S. residents, with immigrants bearing a disproportionate share of the fallout.

The Public-Charge Final Rule Is Far from the Last Word

The Biden administration public-charge final rule undoes deep restrictions imposed during the Trump era, codifying much of the policy in place from 1999 to 2019. Yet confusion and fear over triggering negative immigration consequences will continue to keep many immigrants and their U.S.-born relatives from accessing benefits and services for which they are eligible absent a robust educational campaign, this commentary explains.

Image of the hands of two people at a desk going over paperwork

Immigrant Children’s Medicaid and CHIP Access and Participation: A Data Profile

In 2019, 40 percent of income-eligible immigrant children were barred from Medicaid and CHIP, and even eligible children enrolled at much lower rates.

Mother holds her young child while doctor examines him with a stethoscope

Black Immigrants in the United States Face Hurdles, but Outcomes Vary by City

Black immigrants in the United States face compounding racial and immigrant disadvantages, but city-level policies significantly shape their economic outcomes.

A man and child at a naturalization ceremony outside Washington, DC.

Anticipated “Chilling Effects” of the Public-Charge Rule Are Real: Census Data Reflect Steep Decline in Benefits Use by Immigrant Families

Researchers, service providers, and others have long predicted that sweeping revisions by the Trump administration to the definition of who constitutes a public charge would deter large numbers of immigrant-led households from using federal means-tested public benefits for which they are eligible. Recently released Census Bureau data show they were right: During the administration's first three years, program participation declined twice as fast among noncitizens as citizens.