Somerville Immigrant Advocates Discuss Potential “Public Charge” Rule Changes
By Keminni Amanor, Somerville Neighborhood News
Somerville, Mass., Oct. 21, 2019 – Immigration advocates and allies expressed alarm at certain immigration rule changes the Trump administration was proposing that would affect low-income individuals and families during a recent meeting at City Hall.
Even though the proposed rule changes were blocked on Oct. 15 by three federal judges, that does not mean that they have not already had what advocates called a “chilling effect” by scaring immigrant families away from much-needed health care and other social services.
At the Oct. 10 meeting, representatives of city agencies, nonprofits and immigrant groups heard from representatives of three local organizations about the negative impacts of the proposed rule changes. They also noted that the city’s immigrant population was already being impacted because, in anticipation of the rule change, some families are now afraid to use social services.
“The level of missed appointments and people not showing up is an all-time high,” Ivan Espinoza, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, told the audience. “And so people are removing themselves from lifesaving medical care and treatment. And that puts us all in danger if kids are not being brought for vaccines, right?”
The proposed changes to the “public charge” rule would have negatively impacted up to 650,000 people every year according to the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute.
According to the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) they would have subject anyone “who earns less than 250% of the federal poverty line ($64,375 for a family of 4) to intense scrutiny” and would effectively exclude “anyone below 125% of FPL ($32,188 for a family of 4)” from obtaining a green card or visa.
About one-quarter of Somerville’s 80,000 residents were born in a foreign country.
Regina Bertholdo, director of the Enrollment Office of Somerville public schools, said this added stress on students from immigrant homes is very negative.
“It’s already stressful enough because you have that sense of you not welcome in this country,” she told Somerville Neighborhood News after the meeting. “We have an administration that is doing everything to make immigrants not to feel welcome. With that stress at home, being frightened, then you’ll go to school you would be expected to learn.”
Bertholdo noted that some immigrant households might already be “strapped for cash.”
“They could be experiencing food insecurity; they could be experiencing homelessness. On top of all, we expect this kid to come to school and learn,” she said.
The proposed rule change is one of several policies meant to restrict immigration that has been pushed or proposed by the Trump administration.
At the meeting, representatives of city agencies, non-profits and immigrant organizations heard from representatives of three organizations about the negative impacts of the proposed rule changes and brought up their fears and their concerns about how the city’s immigrant population was already being impacted.
“The level of missed appointments and people not showing up is an all-time high,” Ivan Espinoza, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, told the audience. “And so people are removing themselves from lifesaving medical care and treatment. And that puts us all in danger if kids are being brought for vaccines, right?”
The proposed changes to the “public charge” rule would have negatively impacted up to 650,000 people every year according to the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute.
According to the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) they would have subject anyone “who earns less than 250% of the federal poverty line ($64,375 for a family of 4) to intense scrutiny, and effectively excluding anyone below 125% of FPL ($32,188 for a family of 4)” from obtaining a green card or visa.
About one-quarter of Somerville’s 80,000 are foreign-born. Regina Bertholdo, director of the Enrollment Office of Somerville public schools, said the added stress on students is very negative.
“It’s already stressful enough because you have that sense of you not welcome in this country,” she told Somerville Neighborhood News after the meeting. “We have an administration that is doing everything to make immigrants not to feel welcome. With that stress at home, being frightened then you’ll go to school you would be expected to learn so you might come from a household that it’s already could be strapped in cash. They could be experiencing food insecurity; they could be experiencing homelessness. On top of all, we expect this kid to come to school and learn.”
The proposed rule change is one of several policies meant to restrict immigration that has been pushed or proposed by the Trump administration.
