Fear new rule will hit immigrants

Up to 115,000 New Yorkers could be pushed into poverty if the federal government approves proposed changes to the public charge rule, according to the Robin Hood Foundation.

A new report from the nonprofit says between 65,000 and 115,000 New Yorkers — up to 45,000 of them children — could plunge below the poverty line due to the proposal, which would require many legal immigrants to choose between accepting benefits including food stamps and becoming legal permanent residents.

At issue is a proposed change to immigration rules that would count benefits like SNAP food stamps and Medicaid against someone applying for a green card in determining whether the person is likely to wind up a “public charge.”

City officials, advocates and organizations such as the Robin Hood Foundation, a charity that focuses on helping lower-income people, believe the rule change would harm immigrants beyond those who would be directly affected by it — because it could have a chilling effect that would cause immigrants not at risk to unnecessarily stop receiving benefits.

Robin Hood found that nearly 15% of non-citizens have avoided public programs out of fear in 2018.

The rule proposal is currently in a public comment phase that will end on Monday.