Public Charge Briefings this Week and Lift the Bar (federal legislation)
We are writing to alert you to two important briefings this week involving the federal “public charge” rule, as well as urge your support in getting more MA Members of Congress to co-sponsor the LIFT the Bar Act.
Public charge briefings Feb 2nd and Feb 3rd:
See alert BELOW from our partners at the National Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) campaign about two important briefings to ensure immigrant-headed households access benefits they are eligible to receive for themselves and their families (the PIF eblast also includes other information about vaccines):
- Wednesday, Feb 2nd briefing by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on the agency’s progress in implementing the Biden Administration’s Executive Order directing federal agencies to eliminate “barriers that prevent immigrants from accessing government services available to them”.
- Thursday, Feb 3rd briefing hosted by Projecting Immigrant Families (PIF) and No Kid Hungry on the findings of a recent survey re the impact of the harmful public charge policy on immigrant families. BSP Research will share what messages and which messengers resonate with survey respondents and how we can ensure that our nation’s children are nourished.
Please register BELOW. Both briefings are at 3 PM EST!
Members of Congress Needed to Co-Sponsor the LIFT the Bar Act:
LIFT the Bar Act, H.R.5227, will eliminate the “5-year bar” or 5-year waiting period for certain legally present adults who are SNAP (or cash) eligible but need to wait 5 years from entry to qualify. Here is a tool kit created by Protecting Immigrant Families. Please note, there is NO 5-year wait for children, certain immigrants with disabilities or certain work histories, nor Legal Permanent residents who were previously refugees, asylees, are Cuban/Haitian entrants and other special categories).
The following are the current MA members who are listed as co-sponsors of the LIFT the Bar Act:
Rep Jake Auchincloss [D-MA-4]
Rep. Jame McGovern [D-MA-2]
Rep. Ayanna Pressley [D-MA-7]
Rep. Lori Trahan [D-MA-3]
Please a) THANK them and b) help us get 100% of the MA Delegation on board – especially Reps Seth Moulton, Stephen Lynch and William Keating. The PIF Tool Kit has excellent materials for outreach to your member.
MCLE-MLRI Immigrant Benefits Training – Thursday, April 7th
Just two months away from the annual MLRI and Mass Continuing Legal Education’s annual nuts-and-bolts on how immigration status affects eligibility for state and federal public benefits. Register HERE.
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