{"id":15334,"date":"2026-07-16T21:05:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T21:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/new-york\/?p=15334"},"modified":"2026-07-16T21:05:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T21:05:01","slug":"statement-no-kid-hungry-new-yorks-rachel-sabella-urges-dhs-to-restore-responsible-public-charge-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/new-york\/statement-no-kid-hungry-new-yorks-rachel-sabella-urges-dhs-to-restore-responsible-public-charge-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"STATEMENT: No Kid Hungry New York\u2019s Rachel Sabella urges DHS to restore responsible public charge policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201c<\/span><\/i>Families shouldn\u2019t be forced to make the impossible choice between ensuring they have enough food on the table and staying together<\/span><\/i>,\u201d said Sabella.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Contact: Rubenstein Communications, <\/b>nkh@rubenstein.com<\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

7\/16\/26, NEW YORK, NY <\/b>\u2014 <\/b>Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced <\/span>the repeal<\/span><\/a> of the 2022 public charge guidance. This decision removes the clear rules in place for lawfully present immigrants applying for a green card on what constituted a public charge and replaces it with broad interpretation from immigration officers, which would go into effect on this coming September 18. <\/span>The following is a statement from Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry\u2019s New York campaign:<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cNew York benefits when all kids are fed and nourished. They grow up healthier, better able to learn and more likely to escape the cycle of poverty. The Administration\u2019s attempt to punish families who are just trying to follow the rules is creating a system that will keep kids hungrier, hurting all of us. DHS should restore clear and responsible guidance and rethink its approach to public charge, so all kids have the nourishment they need to learn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is, very few immigrants who do not already have green cards are eligible for public benefits as is, meaning almost all of its impact will be U.S. citizens and lawfully present families, especially children, who will lose access to vital nutrition programs right here in New York and across the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFamilies shouldn\u2019t be forced to make the impossible choice between ensuring they have enough food on the table and staying together, but this new public charge rule creates uncertainty by abandoning a system <\/span>that offered clear guidance for eligible children and families to access the programs for which they qualify.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnder the previous policy, <\/span>lawfully present immigrants applying for green cards <\/span>could confidently determine whether they were following public charge rules while still allowing their kids to receive essential nutrition and services. This newly proposed process creates chaos and confusion for families.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis new policy gives immigration officers broad discretion and interpretation authority while approving permanent residency, making room for arbitrary and potentially discriminatory decision-making. This will create a chilling effect that will drive many families to withdraw from the programs for which they or their children qualify\u2014programs that help feed, house and keep them healthy, hurting immigrant and U.S. citizen children alike.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKids who are eligible for SNAP, WIC, school meals, summer meals, or other nutrition programs could now impact their parent\u2019s green card application by participating in these programs. This is an unacceptable burden to put on kids and their families. Any policy that increases the risk of a child going hungry is bad for New York, and we will continue to work to protect the health and well-being of our communities\u2019 children and families.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

#<\/span>##<\/span><\/p>\n

About Share Our Strength<\/b><\/p>\n

No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cFamilies shouldn\u2019t be forced to make the impossible choice between ensuring they have enough food on the table and staying together,\u201d said Sabella. Contact: Rubenstein Communications, nkh@rubenstein.com\u00a0 7\/16\/26, NEW YORK,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15334","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-press-release"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSTATEMENT: No Kid Hungry New York\u2019s Rachel Sabella urges DHS to restore responsible public charge policy - NEW YORK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/new-york\/statement-no-kid-hungry-new-yorks-rachel-sabella-urges-dhs-to-restore-responsible-public-charge-policy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"STATEMENT: No Kid Hungry New York\u2019s Rachel Sabella urges DHS to restore responsible public charge policy - NEW YORK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cFamilies shouldn\u2019t be forced to make the impossible choice between ensuring they have enough food on the table and staying together,\u201d said Sabella. 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