On December 10, HIRC submitted comments on the “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds” proposed rule. HIRC strongly opposes this proposal for three main reasons: (1) the proposal would create a chilling effect, (2) the proposal creates barriers to immigrants’ self-sufficiency, and (3) the 
proposal fails to acknowledge the contributions of immigrants, unnecessarily penalizing those who speak limited English or who have an illness.
In the comments, HIRC states that: “When clients fear accessing preventative care, it is not just the immigrant community that suffers, but also the public health of the American population at large.”
You can view the complete comments from HIRC here.
Special thanks to Liala Buoniconti, our social worker, and Laura Crowley, one of our social work interns, for their work on this initiative.