Statement: Families USA Applauds Biden Administration for Swift Action to Protect Health Care For Millions Of Immigrant Families - Families Usa Skip to Main Content
02.03.2021 / Statement

Statement: Families USA Applauds Biden Administration for Swift Action to Protect Health Care For Millions Of Immigrant Families

Washington D.C.- Families USA executive director Frederick Isasi released the following statement on President Biden’s Executive Order to Reverse Trump Administration “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds” Rule.

“Today President Biden took an important first step in reversing the egregious Trump-era “public charge” rules. We applaud the administration for upholding its promise to ensure that every family in our nation can secure health for themselves and their children. Reversing this anti-American rule will ensure that immigrant families aren’t penalized for caring for the health of themselves and their families.

“Forcing individuals to choose between a green card or access to health care lent itself to a potential unraveling of our nation’s moral character — and was illegal.

“While the Executive Order does not rescind or replace the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Department of State (DOS) public charge rules, it does hold DHS, DOS, and DOJ accountable to review the policy and identify and take appropriate actions within 60 days. We fully expect to see federal agencies reversing these harmful regulations.

“This is a tremendous step toward making high-quality health care and coverage, more equitable for all of America’s families, seniors, children; including the millions of documented immigrants and citizen children in these families who were the targets of these discriminatory rules.

“Remember the role that so many of these immigrant men and women have played during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been the frontline workers protecting our food supply, working in our hospitals, keeping our essential services going, and delivering our packages. They have risked their lives to support the entire nation and they should be supported as the heroes that they are, not demonized and denied access to health care.

“We said we would not stand for the Trump Administration’s open-handed disregard for humanity, and we did not. We fought this rule. We commend President Biden for his actions today.”