**UPDATE: On January 27, the Supreme Court lifted a preliminary injunction from New York that prevented the public charge regulation from going into effect nationwide. This means that the administration can implement the new public charge rule while litigation continues, except in Illinois where it is blocked by a statewide injunction. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not yet announced a timeline for implementation. This resource has been updated.**

On August 14, 2019, the Trump Administration published a final “public charge” rule. The finalized rule would make it harder for lawfully present immigrants to obtain long-term status if government officials determine they are likely to use one or more public benefit programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Medicaid in the future. If implemented, this rule would harm the health and wellbeing of millions of people and is of great concern for young children’s development and the early childhood field.