Spreading Fear: The Announcement Of The Public Charge Rule Reduced Enrollment In Child Safety-Net Programs

Barofsky, Jeremy; Vargas, Ariadna; Rodriguez, Dinardo; Barrows, Anthony

doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00763

Cited by 84 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The rule was officially adopted as of February 24, 2020, but is currently enjoined by a federal court due to the circumstances of the pandemic. Nevertheless, the announcement of this policy alone was associated with significant declines in child enrollment in Medicaid and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), suggesting fear of using such programs among immigrant and mixed status families (Barofsky, Vargas, Rodriguez, & Barrows, 2020). Prioritizing child health and wellbeing in a humane immigration and asylum policy agenda requires that vulnerable immigrant children not only have access to basic resources needed to survive, but also receive additional supports during a global health emergency and economic crisis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeking Safety and Humanity in the Harshest Immigration Climate in a Generation: A Review of the Literature on the Effects of Separation and Detention on Migrant and Asylum‐Seeking Children and Families in the United States during the Trump Administration

Edyburn

Meek

2021

Social Policy Report

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In recent years, families with children from the Northern Triangle countries of Central America constitute a large and growing proportion of migrants and overall filed asylum claims. In an effort to deter overall immigration through the U.S.–Mexico border, the executive branch under the Trump administration has made substantial changes to federal immigration and asylum policy in recent years. Given the sensitive nature of early development and the hardship and trauma that many migrant children have experienced, immigration policies that do not prioritize child wellbeing, and in fact, neglect or harm it, can have lifelong negative consequences on physical and psychological wellbeing. In light of the scope of children and families affected by these policies and potential magnitude of their effects, the present review aimed to: 1) outline federal immigration policies under the Trump administration that primarily impacted migrant children and families; 2) review the research base regarding the effects of these policies on physical safety and health, development, mental health, family wellbeing, and education; and 3) provide policy recommendations to prevent further harm, mitigate the great harm already done, and prioritize child wellness moving forward. Findings from the review indicate that even short experiences of detention, particularly when children are separated from parents and caregivers, are associated with serious, lasting negative effects across every domain of functioning. The practices of separation, detention, and removal to temporary encampments compound traumatic experiences that migrant families are often fleeing, which in turn may set up already vulnerable children for a trajectory of continued marginalization. Future directions for research and implications for policy and practice are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeking Safety and Humanity in the Harshest Immigration Climate in a Generation: A Review of the Literature on the Effects of Separation and Detention on Migrant and Asylum‐Seeking Children and Families in the United States during the Trump Administration

Edyburn

Meek

2021

Social Policy Report

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“…These findings are further supported by the fact that only families who reported being able to use their SNAP benefits experienced smaller spikes in FI or no spikes at all when schools closed, suggesting that families who had trouble using these federal supports fared worse at onset of the pandemic. Plus, given that a large proportion of Power Packs families are Latinx, it is possible that some were ineligible for federal benefits due to their undocumented status, or reluctant to use these services due to fears of the public charge rule, which made obtaining a permanent residence more difficult for immigrants if they received public assistance such as SNAP (Barofsky et al, 2020;Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds, 2019;Pelto et al, 2020). Thus, some families may have been reticent or unable to rely on federal aid during the spring, which could have made Power Packs a more viable source of food assistance when they were struggling.…”

Section: Patterns Of Food Insecurity Amid the Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding patterns of food insecurity and family well‐being amid the COVID‐19 pandemic using daily surveys

et al. 2021

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This paper investigates economic and psychological hardship during the COVID‐19 pandemic among a diverse sample (61% Latinx; 16% White; 9% Black; 14% mixed/other race) of socioeconomically disadvantaged parents (90% mothers; mean age = 35 years) and their elementary school‐aged children (ages 4–11; 49% female) in rural Pennsylvania ( N = 272). Families participating in a local food assistance program reported on food insecurity (FI) and parent and child mood and behavior daily from January to May 2020. Longitudinal models revealed that FI, negative parent and child mood, and child misbehavior significantly increased when schools closed; only FI and parent depression later decreased. FI decreased most among those who received the local food assistance program; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program receipt uniquely predicted decreases in child FI.

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“…Policies and executive orders by the Trump administration may have negatively impacted the overall health and wellbeing of refugee populations in the USA [40]. The anti-immigrant Trump era socio-political climate contributed to anti-immigrant policies, including the lowered cap of refugee admissions, detention of a large proportion of asylum seekers in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, tightened restrictions on immigration and travel bans, and further restricted public charge rules (described below) [40][41][42][43][44].…”

Section: Socio-political Climate and Challenges For Refugee Resettlement Agenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These rules permit government to deny immigrants visas or entry into the US due to disabilities or lack of economic resources. Such policy changes create a chilling effect to decrease enrollment in federal benefit programs, even for immigrants who have legal entitlement to the benefits [ 44 ]. The programs offer social and health services include: Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Medicaid for children, and publicly subsidized housing.…”

Section: Socio-political Climate and Challenges For Refugee Resettlement Agenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Researchers estimated in 2019 that one in seven adults in immigrant families avoided social service programs due to concerns about public charge rules [ 43 ]. Thus, thousands of eligible, low-income children do not benefit from legally available government support, even during the severe COVID-19 health and economic crisis [ 44 ].…”

Section: Socio-political Climate and Challenges For Refugee Resettlement Agenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Clinicians as advocates amid refugee resettlement agency closures

Siddiq

Rosenberg

2021

J Public Health Pol

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As ongoing war and violence forcibly displace people worldwide, resettlement remains a critical response to the unprecedented global refugee crisis. In recent years, however, the USA (US) has diminished admissions, forcing agencies to shutter offices and resettlement programs across the nation—posing a silent threat to the refugee resettlement system. We provide historical context of refugee resettlement, discuss challenges, and offer recommendations for healthcare providers to become more effective advocates for refugee health in the USA. The need is urgent for healthcare providers and institutions—particularly in regions of high resettlement—to advocate for expanding and assuring sustainable capacity to care for refugees. Key elements include promotion of trauma-informed care, integration of social services in primary care settings, partnership with community-based organizations to promote continuation of care, advocacy for resources and services, and opposition to policies detrimental to the health of refugees and immigrants.

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Spreading Fear: The Announcement Of The Public Charge Rule Reduced Enrollment In Child Safety-Net Programs

Cited by 84 publications

References 6 publications

Seeking Safety and Humanity in the Harshest Immigration Climate in a Generation: A Review of the Literature on the Effects of Separation and Detention on Migrant and Asylum‐Seeking Children and Families in the United States during the Trump Administration

Seeking Safety and Humanity in the Harshest Immigration Climate in a Generation: A Review of the Literature on the Effects of Separation and Detention on Migrant and Asylum‐Seeking Children and Families in the United States during the Trump Administration

Understanding patterns of food insecurity and family well‐being amid the COVID‐19 pandemic using daily surveys

Clinicians as advocates amid refugee resettlement agency closures

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