Immig info calls surge
Prez plan on benefits stirs fear
A state immigration help hotline has seen a spike in calls from people concerned that accepting food stamps and other benefits may endanger their immigration status — coinciding with President Trump’s proposal to change the so-called public charge rule.
Under the pending revision, accepting benefits like SNAP food stamps and Medicaid would count against a person’s application for a green card and permanent residency here.
That’s led to an uptick in calls to the New Americans Hotline, a state-funded project manned by Catholic Charities.
“Worried, definitely worried — the calls that we’re getting are from people who are worried,” Raluca Oncioiu, director of immigration legal and hotline services for Catholic Charities, told the Daily News.
So far in October, the hotline has received 124 calls from people asking about the public charge rule. In September, there were 34 calls; in August, just 16.
Those figures don’t include the calls received during special events the hotline has held, in which it advertises for people to call during a set time block on a specific issue.
In about five hours devoted to taking questions on the public charge rules on Oct. 2 and Oct 3, the hotline received another 837 calls, Oncioiu said.
Many of them were from people who would not be affected by the rule should it go into effect — legal permanent residents, showing the breadth of fear and confusion about the rule, which applies to those here legally who may in the future seek a green card or visa application or change.
“Infrequently, but we have gotten calls from naturalized U.S. citizens who were afraid they would lose their citizenship because they took public benefits,” Oncioiu said.
Another sign of the confusion has been calls from people who accept Women Infant and Children food benefits, or WIC — which would not be counted against an application under the rule change.
The city has said about 75,000 immigrants in New York City who qualify for social service benefits and have an immigration status that would force them to make a choice between the social safety net and a pathway to a green card.
The city and service providers have said they are worried people even beyond that group will decline necessary benefits — and have noted that even those to whom the rule would apply do not need to stop receiving benefits yet, as the rule is not in effect and is not retroactive.
“The message is, even for people who might be affected, is that nothing is happening, nothing has changed for now,” she said. “There’s enough time to have a personalized consultation with a legal service provider.”
The hotline itself provides information, but not legal advice — instead, it connects people to low- or no-cost legal service providers they can trust, helping them avoid costly scams.