Anticipated “Chilling Effects” of the Public-Charge Rule Are Real: Census Data Reflect Steep Decline in Benefits Use by Immigrant Families

Experts had feared that so-called “public charge” rule of 2020, which makes it more difficult for certain immigrants who participate in federal means-tested public-benefit programs to obtain a green card, would create a “chilling effect,” instilling fear among immigrant populations and causing eligible families to forgo government benefits. This paper from the Migration Policy Institute examines the data on immigrant use of benefit programs a year after implementation of the rule. Many immigrants who needed government benefits such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) either disenrolled from these programs or refused to sign up for them, fearing immigration consequences. According to American Community Survey (ACS) data, the use of TANF, SNAP and Medicaid between 2016 and 2019 declined twice as quickly among noncitizens as among U.S. citizens. This chilling effect is largely the result of a lack of federal government guidance explaining who is and is not impacted by the rule. Misinformation about the rule became widespread, leading to anxiety, broad chilling effects and lack of access to vital public programs during the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. (Mia Fasano for The Immigrant Learning Center’s Public Education Institute)

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