Babies and Public Charge

Under the new definition, if families access or are likely to use certain government programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, or housing assistance, they risk their opportunity to obtain permanent or temporary legal status in the United States. By penalizing families for their use of essential services, this proposal threatens the healthy development of millions of children, and particularly babies. In a time when approximately one in four children in the United States lives with at least one immigrant parent, this proposal inevitably threatens our future.