Justice
Why Blocking Poor Immigrants Could Be Very Costly
A new DHS “public charge” rule seeks to bar low-income immigrants if they’re likely to use food stamps and public housing. But critics say that it’s not about saving money.
Worse health outcomes, especially among pregnant women. A jump in emergency room usage. More communicable diseases. Higher poverty and housing instability, including among U.S. citizen children. Lower productivity. Reduced educational attainment. And “downstream and upstream impacts on state and local economies, large and small businesses, and individuals.”
What are all these terrible things? They’re all potential consequences of a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule—according to DHS itself.