Amidst the mounting death toll, economic closures, pervasive viral spread, and pervasive uncertainty, a wave of trepidation swept across the populace at the outset of the pandemic. Concurrently, the federal government instituted a series of anti-immigration measures, notably the implementation of the Public Charge Rule, intensifying distress among both citizen and non-citizen families alike.

Research from UC Irvine shows how these measures resulted in health inequalities rising as a result during the pandemic. The experiences of mixed-status families, comprising individuals with varying citizenship or immigration statuses, were examined.

Dependent on support

Central to the examination was the Public Charge Rule, a mechanism employed in assessing non-citizens’ likelihood of becoming dependent on specific government benefits, including cash assistance, and consequently being designated a “public charge” during the naturalization process.

While the rule underwent slight relaxation during the pandemic for extreme cases of demonstrable need, such concessions were not extensively publicized. Consequently, numerous families, including those with children who possessed U.S. citizenship, refrained from availing themselves of any COVID-19 assistance, driven by the apprehension that it could imperil the future legal standing of their kin.

Between February and April 2021, the researchers conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews to delve into the level of awareness surrounding the Public Charge Rule and the health-related predicaments confronted by these families amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Growing insecurity

Employing grounded theory, they gleaned insights from these interviews, validating the assertion that the trepidation stemming from anti-immigration policies exerted a tangible impact on the well-being of mixed-status families, hampering their access to vital resources throughout the pandemic.

Significant themes emerged from the interviews, encompassing financial need, job insecurity, housing instability, food scarcity, mental health challenges, and a pervasive sense of distrust toward both governmental entities and healthcare authorities.

While numerous COVID-19 relief initiatives proved instrumental in weathering the storm of the pandemic, the deep-seated mistrust of the government and the specter of the public charge rule effectively deterred many mixed-status families from utilizing these crucial lifelines.

“It is clear that these anti-immigration policies had extremely harsh and detrimental effects on the lives of so many marginalized families,” the researchers conclude. “Every individual in the U.S., regardless of immigration status, deserves to have their basic needs met during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope our findings push equity-driven policies forward and make policymakers think twice before implementing bills that affect the health of our entire community.”