On Friday, October 11, federal courts issued a ruling granting a preliminary injunction of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Public Charge Rule change. This means that the implementation of the new public charge rule is suspended for the time being while the multiple legal challenges over this rule change continue to play out in the courts. The rule would have added a number of public benefits, including Public Housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, to the list of benefits that can label an immigrant a “public charge” and thus threaten their ability to obtain permanent residency in the United States.
For the time being, public charge rules remain as they are, and benefit-seekers may continue to access CalFresh, Public Housing, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers, and other benefits without concern over how it may impact their future immigration status. LAHSA urges provider agencies to work with clients, neighbors, and communities to ensure they remain enrolled in these benefits and do not drop out of these key supports.
For more information, we encourage you to review the following resources:
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California Department of Social Services’ Public Charge Contact List of organizations that can provide legal consultation and/or education and outreach on public charge can be found here
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A list of Immigration Legal Services in Los Angeles County can be found here
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Los Angeles County’s Office of Immigrant Affairs website can be found here
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to LAHSA's Legislative Analyst, Samantha Vethavanam by email.