23 Children's Health, Advocacy Organizations Join Together to Oppose Public Charge Final Rule

"Today, our 23 children's health and advocacy organizations join together in expressing our strong opposition to the final public charge rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). By expanding the public charge test, which is used to decide if someone can become a permanent U.S. resident or obtain a visa, the DHS final rule will have a detrimental impact on the health of millions of immigrant children, pregnant women and families.

Children's health will bear the burden of the public charge final rule. ...Changing the public charge definition puts millions of children at risk of disenrollment from key health programs.

"Families will be forced to choose between accessing vital health insurance programs or risk being able to remain together in our country. Children's health will bear the burden of the public charge final rule, with families disenrolling from or avoiding services they are eligible for out of fear. Children will miss out on the long-term health benefits of programs like Medicaid and expectant mothers will forgo prenatal care. Estimates show that changing the public charge definition puts millions of children at risk of disenrollment from key health programs, including children with specific medical needs. Recent data show that nearly 1 million fewer children are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program – with the chilling effect caused by the public charge proposal likely being one of the factors driving unenrollment.

"Our organizations are urging DHS to rescind the public charge final rule immediately, and instead call for policies and programs that support the health and well-being of immigrant children, pregnant women and families."

AIDS Alliance for Women, Infants, Children, Youth & Families

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Medical Student Association

American Muslim Health Professionals

Association for Community Affiliated Plans

Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs

Child Care Aware of America

Children's Defense Fund  

Children's Dental Health Project 

Children's Health Fund

Families USA


Family Voices  

First Focus on Children  

Georgetown University Center for Children & Families 

March of Dimes  

MomsRising

National Association for Children's Behavioral Health

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

National Association of School Nurses

National Education Association

Nurse-Family Partnership

Prevent Blindness

United Way Worldwide

For additional CDHP and partner analysis of federal immigration actions on the oral health of children and families, see the following resources:

• Immigration proposal would harm children’s oral health and success, by CDHP policy analyst Deborah Vishnevsky
• Children are losing coverage — the administration and Congress need to act now, by CDHP policy analyst Deborah Vishnevsky
• Anti-immigrant policies are hurting children's oral health, by guest authors Dr. Alejandra Valencia of the Oral Health Forum and Alberto A. González, then at Community Catalyst
• Organizational sign-on statement opposing public charge regulation (October 2018), by the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition