Fact Sheet Immigrant Families Continued Avoiding the Safety Net during the COVID-19 Crisis
Hamutal Bernstein, Michael Karpman, Dulce Gonzalez, Stephen Zuckerman
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In its first days in office, the Biden administration has already moved to reverse many of the Trump administration’s immigration policies that created a climate of fear and insecurity for many immigrant families. The prior administration’s changes to the “public charge” rule intensified immigrant families’ reluctance to participate in public benefit programs and supports that address basic health, nutrition, and housing needs. In this fact sheet, we use newly available data from the Urban Institute’s December 2020 Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey to estimate chilling effects on public program participation because of green card concerns and because of broader immigration concerns among adults in immigrant families. The continued chilling effects experienced by immigrant families in 2020 are alarming in the context of the pandemic, during which people of color, many of whom are part of immigrant families, have disproportionately experienced economic and health hardships.

Research Areas Health and health care Families Social safety net Immigration
Tags Welfare and safety net programs Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program  Family and household data Immigrant access to the safety net Immigrant children, families, and communities State Children's Health Insurance Program Immigrant communities and COVID-19 Hunger and food assistance
Policy Centers Health Policy Center Income and Benefits Policy Center