May 3, 2021 – Last week, the Supreme Court rejected another attempt to defend the Trump-era public charge rule. The previous anti-immigrant policy effectively imposed barriers for many immigrant families to access health care and economic support during the COVID-19 pandemic. The attorneys general of Texas and 13 other states filed a motion in late March to restore the previous policy. However, since the Supreme Court denied the motion, the Biden Administration’s March 2021 reversal of the Trump policy remains in effect.
Please note there are no immigration consequences for seeking COVID-19 testing, treatment, or vaccination. Also, qualifying immigrants can apply for health coverage, “SNAP” nutrition assistance, “Section 8” housing assistance, and almost every other public program without impact on immigration status or future immigration applications. For more information on public charge, please see our resources in the Immigrant Health Toolkit and the Protecting Immigrant Family’s “Know Your Rights” page, which includes a helpful online public charge screening tool.
Tiffany Alunan, Health Care For All Immigrant Health Intern