Northwest Harvest Submits Comment on Public Charge Rule

The clock is rapidly winding down for submitting your public comment on the harmful public charge rule, a proposal that places immigrant families in the impossible position of choosing between food and family. A choice that no one should have to make.

You don’t have to be a policy expert to speak out against this rule that will increase hunger and poverty and result in economic losses for all in our communities. But every concerned person must speak out by submitting a comment if we have any hope of deterring the Department of Homeland Security from enacting this rule.

Not sure what to say? Consider personalizing any one of the templates available on the Protecting Immigrant Families Washington campaign’s safe and secure comment submission portal with any of the following:

• Your personal experiences. Whether you immigrated to this country or work with, assist, or are related to someone who came to this country to make a better life for their family. Your comment can relate their struggles and success in establishing their new home in our country.
• The impact this policy will have on our state’s limited resources. Many of you were with us in the successful fight that restored funding for the State Food Assistance Program and continue to fight with us to restore funding that was cut from human services programs during the recession. Talk about your observations of the impact these cuts have had because the loss of federal funds when people drop out of federal programs out of fear will constrain our state budget and all low-income people, U.S. born or non-U.S. born, will suffer from the loss of much needed basic assistance.
• The impact on our charitable hunger relief system. SNAP provides 12 meals for every one meal provided by charity alone. A report from the Children’s Health Watch has found that lawful immigrant use of SNAP has dropped by nearly 10% during the first six months of 2018. It’s unsustainable for food banks to keep up with the increased need for services that will result when families lose access to SNAP.
• The impact this will have on the health and wellbeing of our communities. Describe the costs to all of us when families don’t access health care to address anything from the common cold to the increased costs of emergency room visits to address otherwise preventable health outcomes. Describe the loss of potential for children when they don’t have the nutritious food they need to focus on learning. Describe the tragedy that these families are giving up the programs they need that can make them healthier so they can keep working their way off public assistance.

WHAT YOU CAN DO