On Monday, December 10, 2018, the Arab American Civic Council submitted a public comment criticizing the Trump administration’s proposed rule on the #PublicCharge policy that would reduce citizenship opportunities for low-income immigrant families.
The comment argues that the proposed rule would halt the legitimate use of public benefits by noncitizens, including public benefits that allow families access to food and medical assistance—even if the families have U.S. citizen children. The proposed rule seeks to block aspiring citizens who have relied on government assistance to deal with economic hardship from receiving immigration benefits. If it were to go into effect, the rule would disproportionately break minority families and cause lasting harm to minority communities
“California is part of the 5th largest growing economy in the world and a Large portion of those contributions from the small business of those who hold legal immigration status such as F-1 visas… Immigrant populations already pay a considerable amount of funds into taxes, as small business owners, therefore pay their fair share to society. this rule will undoubtedly affect the quality of life of many throughout Southern Califnornia by directly affecting the continious growth of commerce including the physical helath of immigrant families and communities. “