Joint Statement on Public Charge from Wayne Ho of CPC and Dr. Mitchell Katz of NYC Health + Hospitals
The federal rule on public charge rule goes into effect today. CPC has long stood opposed to this rule, and will continue fighting back against it. In order to inform our community members, Wayne Ho, President and CEO of CPC and Dr. Mitch Katz, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals released the joint statement below.
On February 24th, the Trump Administration will begin implementing a public charge test for immigrants seeking green cards (known formally as “Legal Permanent Residence”) and certain types of visas. The most important thing to know is that many immigrant New Yorkers, including immigrants that currently have green cards, are not actually subject to this rule, and that healthcare services and many other services remain available to all New Yorkers no matter where they come from.
In New York City, 70% of Asian Americans are immigrants, and 40% of the city’s population are immigrants. New York City welcome all immigrants, and has been fighting against this new rule from the Trump Administration. We have fought our way to the Supreme Court and the fight is ongoing, but for now the rule will take effect February 24th. It is important that New Yorkers understand if it impacts them.
You should know three things about the public charge rule.
First, the public charge rule does not change eligibility for public benefits. If you are eligible for a benefit such as Medicaid or SNAP today, the public charge rule does not change that, you remain eligible. If you are not sure if you are eligible, you should still find out through a New York City agency or a community based organization like CPC.
Second, the Public Charge rule does not apply to all immigrants. Immigration officials will begin to apply the new public charge test after February 24th for green card and visa applications, as well as visa renewals submitted inside the United States. The test will not be applied for individuals that already have a green card. It will not be applied to those that have or are applying for T or U visas, asylum, or refugee status, and it will not be applied for those seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status or self-petitioners under the Violence Against Women Act.
Third, the public charge test does not mean you should disenroll from public benefits or avoid getting healthcare. If someone submitting an immigration application is actually subject to the public charge test, as described above, immigration officials will look at the applicant’s “totality of circumstances” to evaluate if that applicant is likely to require public support in the future. Under the rule, the officials will look at the applicant’s income, age and other elements, as well as if the applicant was enrolled in certain public benefits after February 24th, 2020. The officials will not look at any benefits taken before February 24th, 2020.
This is important: enrollment in public benefits would not lead to someone automatically being identified as a public charge. In fact many benefits are not even considered in the test. Green card applicants would not be penalized for enrollment in Medicaid for Pregnant Women, Emergency Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Essential Health Plans, subsidies under ObamaCare, Medicare, or the City’s new NYC Care program. The only health benefit that green card applicants could be penalized for is federally-funded Medicaid, and most immigrants that would subject to the test would not be eligible for federally-funded Medicaid anyway. Green card applicants that use SNAP benefits or Section 8 or federal housing vouchers may also be subject to the test.
So what should you do?
You should continue to get the healthcare you need.
If you’re concerned you might be subject to the public charge test in the future, get a free legal consultation to find out if you would actually be affected.
And definitely talk to a lawyer before dropping any benefits you or your family depend on, or choosing not to enroll or check eligibility.
For a free and confidential legal consultation, call the numbers below or visit a community based organization like CPC
- ActionNYC: Call 311 and ask for “ActionNYC”
- Office for New Americans: Call 1-800-566-7636
川普政府將於2月 24日起對申請綠卡（正式名稱為「合法永久居民」）和某些簽證類型的移民進行公共負擔測試。請了解最重要的一點是許多紐約移民，包括目前持有綠卡的移民，實際上並不受此規則制約，而且所有的紐約人仍可照舊取得醫療保健服務和許多其他服務，無論他們來自何方。
在紐約市的亞裔美國人中有70%是移民， 而紐約市總人口中則有40%是移民。紐約市歡迎所有的移民，並且一直以來都在對抗川普政府的這項新規則。我們的抗爭已上達最高法院且仍持續不懈，然而依目前進度，這項規則仍將於2月24日生效。因此紐約人有必要瞭解這項規則是否會影響他們。
關於公共負擔規則，您應明白三件事。
首先，公共負擔規則不會改變享受公共福利的資格。如果您今天有資格享受某個福利，例如醫療補助計畫（Medicaid）或SNAP，那麼公共負擔規則不會改變這一點，您仍然保有此資格。如果您不確定您是否符合資格，您還是應該透過紐約市政機構或基於社區的組織（如華策會CPC）來查明您是否符合資格。
其次，公共負擔規則並非一體適用於所有的移民。移民官員將於2月24日後對綠卡和簽證申請案、以及在美國境內提交的簽證更新案進行新的公共負擔測試。這項測試將不會用於已持有綠卡的個人，將不會用於那些持有或正在申請T或U簽證、庇護或難民身份的個人，而且也將不會用於那些申請特殊青少年移民身份的個人或防止婦女受暴法案的自訴人。
第三，公共負擔測試並不意味著您應該退出公共福利或避免獲得醫療保健。如上文所述，如果提交移民申請的人確實需要進行公共負擔測試，移民官員會查看申請人的「整體情況」，以評估該申請人將來是否可能需要公共支援。在該規則下，官員們將考查申請人的收入、年齡和其他要素，以及申請人是否在2020年2月24日之後登記註冊了某些公共福利。官員們將不會考查在2020年2月24日之前享受的任何福利。
重要須知：註冊公共福利不會導致此人被自動認定為公共負擔。事實上，許多福利甚至不在該測試的考慮範圍內。綠卡申請人將不會因註冊孕婦醫療補助計畫、緊急醫療補助計畫、Child Health Plus、Essential Health Plan、歐巴馬健保法案的補助、聯邦醫療保險（Medicare）或紐約市的新NYC Care項目而受到處罰。綠卡申請人唯一可能會受到處罰的健保福利是聯邦資助的醫療補助計畫（Medicaid），不過大多數可能需要接受該測試的移民並沒有資格獲得聯邦資助的醫療補助計畫。享受SNAP福利或第八款（Section 8）即聯邦住房券的綠卡申請人也可能要接受該測試。
那麼您應該做什麼？
您應該繼續使用您需要的醫療保健。
如果您擔心日後可能會對您進行公共負擔測試，請善用免費的法律諮詢來查明您是否確實會受到影響。
而且，在放棄您或家人賴以為生的任何福利，或者選擇不註冊登記或驗明資格之前，一定要先與律師討論。
如需免費保密的法律諮詢，請致電以下號碼或訪問基於社區的組織，比如華策會CPC。
- ActionNYC：致電311並要求接通「ActionNYC」
- 新美國人辦公室（Office for New Americans）：致電1-800-566-7636
Mitchell Katz, MD
President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals
米謝爾‧卡茨
總裁及首席執行官
紐約市公立醫院系統
Wayne Ho
President and CEO of CPC
何永康
總裁及首席執行官
華人策劃協會