Our community has fought long and hard for our rights in the United States, and we won’t let anyone tell us that disabled people don’t belong here. That’s why we’re speaking up against the administration’s proposed “public charge” rule, which would let the government deny immigrants entry to the U.S. because of a disability. Submit a comment and tell the administration we say NO to this harmful rule.
Under the proposed “public charge” rule, the US could deny entry to immigrants if they or a family member use, or could ever need, services like:
- Medicaid – this includes Medicaid waiver services that help people with
disabilities stay in our homes, work, go to school, and live in our communities
- Food stamps, or SNAP
- Medicare Part D assistance
- Section 8 housing assistance
Anyone who has a disability or is sick could be defined as someone who might need these services in the future – meaning that the government could deny someone entry just because they are disabled. The government could also use this standard to deny visas or green cards to immigrants who are already living in the US.
We can fight back by sending written comments opposing the rule to the Department of Homeland Security. The Arc’s comment tool makes this quick and easy. Federal agencies are required to review every unique comment they receive about a proposed regulation — and that means that a flood of public comments could stop or delay this rule.
No one should have to go without food, housing, or health care in order to live safely with their family, but the fears raised by the proposed rule are already preventing many people with disabilities from using needed benefits. If enacted, this discriminatory rule will do lasting harm to disabled immigrants and their families. Submit a public comment today to let the administration know: disabled immigrants are welcome here!