California Immigrant Families and Public Benefits, 2019
Of all adults in California immigrant families, 17.7% reported that they or a family member did not participate in a noncash government benefit program or a housing program, in 2019 for fear of risking future green card status, up from 12.2% in 2018.
65.3% of adults in California immigrant families were aware of the public charge rule and 69.9% were confident in their understanding of the rule. Yet, only 18.2% knew children’s enrollment in Medi-Cal will not be considered in their parents’ public charge determinations.
Legal professionals were the most trusted source for information on how using public benefits would affect their immigration status (67.9%), followed by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (63.3%), state government agencies (55.4%), and local government agencies (50.4%).
