Why HHS’s Notice on Federal Public Welfare Impairs Legal Existence and Undocumented Immigration

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it restricted access to numerous federal benefits for undocumented immigrants, which focused on health and immigration.

HHS repealed the 1998 interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Job Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, which extended certain federal public interests to undocumented immigration. It provides a revised list of programs now classified as federal public welfare, including certified community behavioral health clinics, Head Start, Title X family planning programs, and more. The new restrictions come into effect on July 14, with a 30-day comment period ending on August 13.

“For a long time, the government has diverted taxes from hard-working Americans to inspire illegal immigrants,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr said in a statement. “The actions have changed today that restore the integrity of federal social programs, enforce the rule of law, and protect the vital resources of the American people.”

Several health and immigration advocacy groups opposed the decision, believing that these plans were providing lifesaving for immigrant families. This decision is not only for undocumented immigrants.

Under Prwora, “qualified immigrants” are eligible for federal public welfare programs. This includes legal permanent residents or people with green cards, refugees and people who grant asylum. However, numerous legal immigrants are not listed as qualified immigrants and therefore do not qualify for these programs, such as those with temporary protection status, who have escaped emergencies, domestic violence survivors with special “U” visas and child abuse survivors, have “special immigrant juvenile status”, according to the Protected Immigration Family (PIF) (PIF) (PIF) (PIF), a type of Protected Immigration Family (PIF).

Those who have obtained legal permanent residence but have not yet obtained a green card are also not listed as qualified immigrants.

The PIF believes that the HHS decision will also harm immigrant families of U.S. citizens. For example, parents have to prove that it is very common, and children are American citizens. If someone in the family is not eligible for the federal health program, this is less likely to be for other family members who are eligible for these services.

“This change could have a huge impact on 27% of the U.S. population living in immigrant families,” PIF campaign strategist Esther Reyes said in an email. “This includes not only people who are undocumented, but also legal immigrants and U.S. citizens in immigrant families. Immigrant families often include people (usually children), who are U.S. citizens, people with green cards or other legal status, and people who have not been proven, and people who have not been forgotten. Our experience with exclusive policies — especially policy changes like this — and policy changes like this — they can hurt the entire family.”

The comments were responded by Isha Weerasinghe, Justice Director of Public Welfare at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing policies for low-income people. Changes in HHS will also make it difficult for health care and social service facilities to determine who is eligible for services, “there is the possibility of refusing to care for many people more than those considered “qualified”, which makes it difficult for everyone to access services,” Weerasinghe added.

“If our health care system is less efficient for U.S. citizens, it’s not because immigrants went to a health clinic — but because this administration has fired thousands of HHS employees who helped manage the program and signed only a $4 trillion legal bill, and with the largest Medicaid cut in the program’s history, it’s an explanation for public health care, Weererasinghe said.

Reyes added that health centers are the “lifeline” for low-income families, including many immigrant families, providing basic care like mammograms and more complex care like cancer treatment.

Executives at Unidosus, a Hispanic civil rights and advocacy group, agree that it is beneficial for the community to provide immigrant families with opportunities to these programs. She specially convened the Women, Infants and Children Program, which provides food assistance to pregnant women, new mothers and young children.

“These people are part of the workforce. These people are contributing,” Carmen Feliciano, vice president of policy and advocacy at Unidosus, said in an interview. “These children were born here. So, over the years, the policy has been working properly, just putting forward this very broad policy without any data supporting it's harmful or harmful to the community, which doesn't make any sense.”

What can be done

Many advocacy groups are taking advantage of a 30-day comment period, including families supporting healthcare consumers.

“This opportunity is crucial for people including employers and small businesses, immigrants, their families, neighbors, and those who serve or serve with the immigrant community or with HHS’ explanations and those who continue to visit these important programs, as well as those who serve or raise concerns with the immigrant community.’’ “HHS may modify its location if sufficient impetus is generated. ”

Feliciano said Unidosus will also submit comments about the damage the policy may cause to the United States.

“No one will benefit from underdeveloped children or hungry people or people who can’t go to work,” she said. “It’s not good for anyone.”

PIF's Reyes also called on states and Congress to take action.

“States know that denying people access to care does not eliminate their need for care – it simply transfers costs to emergency rooms and extends to state taxpayers and employers-sponsored insurance,” she said. “States should document the damage caused by this HHS policy and push their congressional delegation to action.

“And I've been worried that this was a few days ago, with Democrats not responding publicly on the House Energy and Commerce Committee or the Senate Help Committee,” she continued. “This policy is a major threat to national health and people running for the United States need to take action.”

Photo: Philip Rozenski, Getty Images