“Public charge” refers to a screening process that immigration officials have been using since the 1880s to determine whether someone who is seeking lawful immigration status (“green card”) will become primarily dependent on the government to support themselves. The U.S. government looks at the age, education, health status, and vocational skills together with the person’s history of using certain government benefits programs to decide whether someone is a “public charge”.

Protecting Immigrant Families:

1. 1. Public Charge: does this apply to me? https://pifcoalition.org/resource/public-charge-does-this-apply-to-me
   2. On-line public charge screening tool. https://pifcoalition.org/resource/online-public-charge-screening-tool

Children Defense Fund – Texas

1. 1. Three things to know about public charge, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUr_aay6ayA

One in Seven Adults in Immigrant Families Reported Avoiding Public Benefit Programs in 2018 (Urban Institute, May 2019)

Through the Back Door: Remaking the Immigration System via the Expected “Public-Charge” Rule (MPI, August 2018)

Potential Effects of Public Charge Changes on Health Coverage for Citizen Children (Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2018)