>> MORE NOW ON IMMIGRATION
POLICY.
THE U.S. SUPREME COURT RECENTLY
LIFTED AN INJUNCTION AND ALLOWED
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RULE
REGARDING IMMIGRANTS TO SOON
TAKE EFFECT.
IT IS A RULE DESIGNED TO
CONSTRAIN LEGAL IMMIGRATION BY
REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR GREEN CARDS
AND OTHER VISAS.
IT'S CALLED THE PUBLIC CHARGE
RULE AND IT DETERMINES HOW MANY
PUBLIC BENEFITS IMMIGRANT CAN
USE BEFORE THEIR APPLICATION FOR
LEGAL STATUS IS DENIED.
FOR MORE ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF
THIS RULE CHANGE, WE TURN TO
WILLIAM PARKE SUTHERLAND, THE
COORDINATOR AT THE MADISON-BASED
KIDS FORWARD, PART OF THE
WISCONSIN COLLABORATION ON
IMMIGRANTS AND PUBLIC BENEFITS.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME.
>> WHO DOES THIS RULE AFFECT?
>> I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING TO REALIZE IS THAT THE
VAST MAJORITY OF IMMIGRANTS IT
DOES NOT AFFECT.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF IMMIGRANTS
ARE SAFE FROM THIS RULE.
SO PEOPLE WITH HUMANITARIAN
VISAS, PEOPLE WHO ARE REFUGEES,
PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE SORT OF AS A
-- WHO ARE VICTIMS OF CRIMES OR
VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING.
SO ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE SAFE
AND ARE NOT IMPACTED.
THE OTHER IMPORTANT THING IS
THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR GREEN
CARDS ALREADY, AS LONG AS THEY
DON'T LEAVE THE U.S. FOR SIX
MONTHS, THEY ARE ALSO SAFE.
SO THIS DOES NOT AFFECT
CITIZENSHIP.
>> OF THE PEOPLE IT DOES AFFECT,
THOUGH YOU SAY IT IS A SMALL
KIND OF SLICE, WHAT KINDS OF
PUBLIC BENEFITS FALL UNDER THIS
NEW DEFINITION?
>> YEAH.
SO THAT IS ALSO FAIRLY NARROW.
I MEAN, PEOPLE SORT OF THINK
THAT THERE'S A WHOLE SCOPE OF
BENEFITS THAT IS INCLUDED.
AND IT'S MEDICAID, SO MEDICAID
AND LONG-TERM CARE, SO
BADGERCARE IN WISCONSIN.
THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE,
FOODSHARE OR SNAP, AND THEN CASH
ASSISTANCE, SO LIKE W-2.
THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF
PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT IMPACTED,
LIKE THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT,
MARKETPLACE CREDIT, SO IF YOU
GET HEALTH INSURANCE THEN, AND
THE WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN
PROGRAM IS ALSO NOT IMPACTED.
>> SO SOME IMPORTANT PROGRAMS
ARE NOT IMPACTED, BUT THIS IS
CAUSING A LOT OF FEAR AND
ANXIETY AMONG PEOPLE IN THESE
COMMUNITIES.
FOR AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, WE WANT
TO LISTEN TO CAROLINE GOMEZ-TOM
FROM THE 16TH STREET COMMUNITY
HEALTH CENTER IN MILWAUKEE, WHO
DESCRIBES PEOPLE WORRYING THAT
THEY'LL HAVE TO PAY MONEY BACK
THAT THEIR CHILDREN HAVE
RECEIVED.
>> YEAH.
>> WE'VE ALSO SEEN WOMEN WHO ARE
PREGNANT THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR
THE PRENATAL PROGRAM, BADGERCARE
PROGRAM THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN
THE PUBLIC CHARGE RULE NOT WANT
PRENATAL SERVICES AND CARE AT
OUR CLINIC AS WELL OR JUST AT
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS
GENERALLY.
>> SO IS THAT SIMILAR TO WHAT
YOU'RE HEARING?
>> YEAH.
AND WE WORK CLOSELY WITH
CAROLINE AND WE'VE HAD HEARD
FROM PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
THAT, YOU KNOW, WOMEN ARE
DECLINING PRENATAL SERVICES OR
ENROLLMENT FOR WOMEN, INFANTS
AND CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, THAT
THAT'S GOING DOWN.
AND BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE NOT
IMPACTED BY THE RULE.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT THIS IS
KIND OF YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION KIND OF
WRONGLY DISCOURAGING PEOPLE FROM
ACCESSING BENEFITS THAT HELP
THEIR FAMILIES MEET BASIC NEEDS
AND SO MANY OF THOSE BENEFITS
AREN'T INCLUDED AND SO MANY OF
THOSE PEOPLE ARE EXEMPT FROM
THIS PUBLIC CHARGE RULE.
>> SO WHAT IS YOUR ORGANIZATION
AND OTHERS DOING TO KIND OF
REACH OUT TO IMMIGRANT
COMMUNITIES WHO ARE WORRIED
ABOUT THIS?
WE WITH UNDERSTAND THE WORRY HAS
RIPPLED ACROSS THE COUNTRY?
>> YEAH.
THE CHILLING EFFECT, IT'S A FAR
WORSE CONSEQUENCE THAN WHO'S
DIRECTLY ACTUALLY IMPACTED BY
THE RULE.
SO THE COLLABORATION ON
IMMIGRANTS AND PUBLIC BENEFITS
HAVE PUT TOGETHER
EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND FACT SHEETS
ABOUT WHO THE RULE IMPACTS,
WHO'S SAFE FROM THE RULE.
WE HAVE A WHOLE LIST OF PROGRAMS
THAT PEOPLE CAN SAFELY USE.
WE HAVE A FACT SHEET
SPECIFICALLY ON CHILDREN AND HOW
THIS RULE IMPACTS THEM AND IT
IMPACTS THEM MUCH LESS THAN
ADULTS.
SO CHILDREN CAN SAFELY USE
MEDICAID PROGRAMS.
SO CHILDREN CAN BE ON
BADGERCARE.
WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO COUNTER
THIS YEAR.
AND THE BEST WAY TO COUNTER THAT
FEAR IS THROUGH ACTS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE LEAVE IT THERE.
WILLIAM PARKE