During the Covid-19 pandemic, families do not pursue the benefits they qualify for, fearing that a Trump administration rule will affect an immigrant family member’s chances of obtaining a green card or US citizenship.
A study by Urban Institute, an economic and social policy think tank, found that about 1 in 7 adults in immigrant families, 13.6 percent, reported not enrolling in programs like Medicaid, the Child Health Insurance Program, Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program and housing subsidies last year – even if they or their relatives were eligible – for fears that this would affect their legalization efforts.
Karin, 42, who asked to be identified only by first name to avoid government attention, is one of them. Karin, who works as a maid, has lived in Los Angeles for 15 years after fleeing violence in Guatemala. She and her two oldest daughters are trying to find a way to obtain employment permits or green cards; his youngest daughter was born in the USA
She has been reluctant to enroll in Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, although it is available to qualified residents of the state, regardless of legal status.
According to changes in the Trump administration’s rules, immigrants seeking legal status whose families have enrolled in publicly funded programs can be considered “public charges” if officials determine they are likely to need public assistance.
The change came after the Trump administration expanded the definition of the term. The Department of Homeland Security had previously defined a “public charge” as someone who relied on cash assistance or long-term government-funded institutional care, but the Trump era rule expanded the definition to include additional benefits, such as food stamps. , non-emergency Medicaid, certain subsidies for prescription drugs and housing coupons.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling for an “immediate review of the agency’s actions on inadmissibility of public prosecution”.
Karin said he prefers to remain uninsured until the Biden government explicitly says that signing state public health insurance would not classify people as “public charges” and would not hamper their legalization efforts.
The Urban Institute found that nearly 28% of immigrants in families with members who did not have a green card avoided a number of public benefits to which they were eligible due to the rule’s “inhibiting effect”.
Eliseo Lopez, 72, a handyman, has lived in Los Angeles for three decades. He has struggled to get enough work to survive during the pandemic, and age-related illnesses make it more difficult to continue working.
As a permanent resident, Lopez qualifies for retirement benefits. But he refused to apply last year for fear of jeopardizing his wife’s chances of getting a green card.
“We stopped all my wife’s immigration paperwork because of Trump’s anti-immigrant behavior. We are always on the sidelines, never asking anyone for help, ”said Lopez in Spanish. “I just wouldn’t do anything that could potentially get you deported.”
Their daughter, who is an American citizen, helped them financially after they ran out of money during the pandemic. Because of the family’s mixed immigration status, they received no Covid-19 stimulus checks.
Lopez said that now that Biden is president, he feels more comfortable to resume his wife’s legalization process.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politicals
Hamutal Bernstein, co-author of the study, said: “I think it will take a great deal of information and education, given the long period of time and the misinformation, fear and confusion surrounding this rule.”
Bernstein found that other factors are also preventing families from applying for benefits, including fears about information sharing between immigration authorities, language barriers and challenges in applying.
‘There is always fear’
Karla, 39, a Mexican immigrant who asked to be identified only by first name to avoid government attention, lost her job at the daycare center during the pandemic and has been cleaning houses to survive.
Her husband is an essential worker who delivers products to supermarkets. They have three children.
“We are living just to have enough money for rent and food,” said Karla in Spanish. The only additional help she remembers receiving to support her three teenage children, all American citizens, was feeding through the state’s school lunch program. “There is always fear, but sometimes the need wins and you sign up for certain programs for fear that it will affect your legal situation in the future.”
Karla said she would like to have health insurance after undergoing traumatic emergency dental surgery two years ago.
“I just need healthy teeth to use to eat well,” she said. “I hardly go to the doctor, because I don’t have access. If something hurts, I have no choice but to go to the emergency room.”
Karla said she is considering enrolling in the California public health insurance program, but the application process has been difficult.
Bernstein said: “To complement everything the government does to break the rule, it will also be very important to do some very intentional education, communication and engagement with immigrant families to inform them of policy changes – also to try to rebuild trust and reduce some of these fears of participating in programs for which they or their children may be eligible. “
Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.