• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • BOSTON BETTER BEER BUREAU
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

CLOSE CALL FOR IMMIGRANTS BUT CONCERNS REMAIN

Written by Posted October 23, 2019 Filed Under: News, NEWS+OPINIONS

Regina Bertholdo, director of the Enrollment Office of Somerville public schools, speaking to Somerville Neighborhood News after a meeting at City Hall in Somerville, Mass., on Oct. 10, 2019. Photo: Keminni Amanor

 

Immigrant advocates discuss potential “public charge” rule changes

 

Last week, three federal judges blocked a proposed change in immigration rules, attempted by the administration of President Donald Trump, that would have primarily impacted low-income individuals and families. It was a win for immigrants and immigrant rights advocates, but those who work on these issues say everything that transpired nevertheless caused a “chilling effect,” effectively scaring immigrant families away from much-needed health care and other social services.

 

 

At a public meeting about the looming threat held at Somerville City Hall earlier this month, before federal judges passed down their decision, immigrants and their allies expressed alarm. Representatives from city agencies, nonprofits, and various other groups heard from delegates of three stakeholder organizations about the negative impacts of the proposed changes, all noting their fears and concerns about how the city’s immigrant population was already being impacted.

 

“The level of missed appointments and people not showing up is an all-time high,” Ivan Espinoza, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights, told the audience. “And so people are removing themselves from lifesaving medical care and treatment. And that puts us all in danger if kids are being brought for vaccines, right?”

 

The proposed changes to the “public charge” rule would have negatively impacted up to 650,000 people every year, according to the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute. According to the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), adjustments would have subjected anyone “who earns less than 250% of the federal poverty line ($64,375 for a family of 4) to intense scrutiny … effectively excluding anyone below 125% of FPL ($32,188 for a family of 4)” from obtaining a green card or visa.

 

About one-quarter of Somerville’s 80,000 are foreign-born. Regina Bertholdo, director of the Enrollment Office of Somerville Public Schools, said such concerns add stress to the lives of many students.

 

“It’s already stressful enough because you have that sense of you not welcome in this country,” Bertholdo told Somerville Neighborhood News. “We have an administration [in Washington] that is doing everything to make immigrants not to feel welcome. With that stress at home, being frightened, then you’ll go to school [where] you would be expected to learn. … They could be experiencing food insecurity; they could be experiencing homelessness. On top of all, we expect this kid to come to school and learn.”

 

This specific proposed rule change was one of several policies that have been pushed or proposed by the Trump administration to restrict immigration .

 

Story published in collaboration with Somerville Neighborhood News.

Filed Under: News, NEWS+OPINIONS Tagged With: immigration, MIRA, SOMERVILLE, Trump

WHAT’S NEW

We Turned the North End Restaurant Lawsuit Against Mayor Wu Into a Musical

We Turned the North End Restaurant Lawsuit Against Mayor Wu Into a Musical

Photo by Mike Connolly

Opinion: Defending the Right to Abortion

Longtime Anti-Nuclear Activist On Trial This Morning In Plymouth

Longtime Anti-Nuclear Activist On Trial This Morning In Plymouth

The ACLU's Critical "Do You Know Who Your Sheriff Is?" Campaign

The ACLU’s Critical “Do You Know Who Your Sheriff Is?” Campaign

Sacred Spaces: Special Mosque Edition

Sacred Spaces: Special Mosque Edition

“Stop Abortion Bans Now” by Fibonacci Blue. CC-BY 2.0. Original photo cropped for the Somerville Wire by Jason Pramas.

OPINION: R.I.P. ROE?

Primary Sidebar

FEATURED EVENT

Most Popular

  • We Turned the North End Restaurant Lawsuit Against Mayor Wu Into a Musical
  • Do You Want To Work For the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission?
  • DigBoston box among the boxes of defunct newspapers in Union Square, Somerville, Mass. Photo by Jason Pramas. Copyright 2022 Jason Pramas. EDITORIAL: DIGBOSTON SUSPENDING PRINT EDITION, GOING DIGITAL-ONLY (AGAIN)
  • Inbox: Red Bull Cliff Diving Returns To Boston Waterfront
  • How Long Can Major Cannabis Cultivators Sustain Massive Indoor Grows In Mass?

CURRENT STREET EDITION

DIG 24.08 – 04/21/22

Footer

Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Advertise

Privacy Policy

Customer Service

Distribution

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]