WASHINGTON—Yesterday, the Biden-Harris administration and the U.S. Department of Justice swiftly ended the defense of the Public Charge Rule of 2019. Earlier that day, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will not weigh in on the legality of the Trump-era public charge rule, and the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an U.S. District Court order striking down the rule nationwide. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declared that once the judicial invalidation of the 2019 Rule becomes final, the department’s public charge policy in its 1999 interim field guidance will apply.
The announcement came weeks after 500 nonprofit organizations affiliated with the Protecting Immigrant Families campaign (PIF) urged President Biden to act quickly to end the 2019 Public Charge Rule. PIF is a coalition of organizations that came together after the introduction of the 2019 Public Charge Rule to unite, advance, protect and defend access to health care, nutrition programs, public services and economic support for immigrants and their families at the local, state and federal level. APIAHF is a proud member of the PIF Campaign and sits on its Executive Committee.
“While there is much community education, outreach and policy advocacy work ahead of us to ensure our communities, neighbors and families can, and do, feel safe in accessing critical human service programs, especially during COVID-19, this is a critically important day for us to collectively celebrate and uplift the voices of our immigrant families,” said Juliet K. Choi, president and CEO of APIAHF. “This was truly a collective effort. We extend our gratitude to the litigators and parties who fought the rule in the courts, and the advocates and community organizers who ensured the whole of our communities were heard and protected.”
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The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) influences policy, mobilizes communities and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.