Today, the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear the federal government's appeal of the early victories obtained against the public charge rule in New York, Vermont and Connecticut.  The Court has not yet decided whether to hear an appeal of the same early victory in Illinois. The decision to hear the appeal from New York does not change the current status of public charge and the rule remains in effect in Illinois and nationwide.

“Unfortunately, the Supreme Court’s action today means that millions of individuals across the country continue to be harmed every day by this rule,” said Luvia Quiñones, Health Policy Director at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “Individuals and families continue to be afraid to use lifesaving public benefits. The Biden administration should take swift action to undo the harm created by the white nationalist immigration policies of the Trump administration.”

Now, more than ever, it is important for the immigrant community to stay informed of their rights. Immigrants and their families continue to have access to several basic and life-saving services and programs without immigration consequences--in particular, COVID-19 testing and treatment, the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as essential nutrition and health programs such as Pandemic-EBT and Emergency Medicaid. For more detailed information on the public charge and public benefits as well as resources, please visit the Protecting Immigrant Families Illinois website.

The Protecting Immigrant Families-Illinois coalition will continue to defend and advocate for equal and fair access to health care, housing, nutrition programs, and other support programs for immigrants, and share accurate and timely information with immigrant communities to mitigate the deleterious chilling effects of the public charge rule.

Recent PIF-IL statements on public charge litigation.

Protecting Immigrant Families Illinois members: AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Asian Human Services, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet, Elevate Energy, Erie Family Health Center, DuPage Federation, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group, Healthy Illinois Campaign, Housing Action Illinois, Illinois AAP, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), Latino Policy Forum, Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services, Legal Council for Health Justice, National Immigrant Justice Center, Ounce of Prevention Fund, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, University YMCA