Mitú reported on the temporary injunction issued by federal judges in three states – New York, California, and Washington– against the administration’s public charge rule, which would make it harder for some immigrants to receive a green card if they have used a range of public benefits. Many immigrant survivors of gender-based violence are exempt from the original rule, but the climate of fear created by the policy has led many to unnecessarily refuse or unenroll from assistance programs that they are eligible to receive. Elizabeth Hasse, Tahirih Houston Staff Attorney, spoke about a client who decided to not renew the benefits that her family was receiving due to fear of it impacting her green card application. Hasse commented:
“I was surprised because she’s a client who really needs those benefits and her children have consistently received them for many years. And out of fear, without even asking me about it, she just decided on her own that she was going to try to make it without.”
