By Renato Rocha and Elizabeth Lower-Basch

The Center for Law and Social Policy submits this comment in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Request for Public Input: Identifying Barriers Across U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Benefits and Services.

Research has confirmed that the lead up to and rollout of the Trump-era public charge policy created a “chilling effect,” with immigrants and their family members afraid to apply for immigration benefits and access critical health, nutrition, and economic supports for which they were eligible. We strongly encourage USCIS to take three key steps to repair the last harm of the 2019 public charge on immigrant children and families.