The Montana Budget and Policy Center submitted a letter to the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to express our strong opposition to the Department of Homeland Security’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding inadmissibility on public charge grounds.
The proposed rule represents a radical shift in immigration policy that would sow more fear in immigrant communities and lead many immigrants who are in the United States legally to forgo health coverage, nutrition assistance, and housing assistance that their families are eligible for and need. These programs represent critical assistance for families in Montana, including thousands of immigrant families legally eligible to access services. The proposed rule would significantly change the “public charge” test with harmful consequences for young children and their parents in Montana.
MBPC is a nonprofit organization focused on providing credible and timely research and analysis on budget, tax, and economic issues that impact low- and moderate-income Montana families.