Public Charge update
On December 23, 2022, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule on the public charge that adopts a very similar definition: a person who is likely at any time to become “primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, as demonstrated by either the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance or long-term institutionalization at government expense.”
It is now safe to access all forms of food assistance programs. The following programs are NOT used to determine public charge:
- CalFresh
- California Food Assistance Program (CFAP)
- WIC (Women, Infants, and Children)
- Senior Congregate and Home Delivered Meals
- Food pantries and distributions
- San Diego Food Bank
- Feeding San Diego
CalFresh for Undocumented/Mixed Status Households
The following applies if interested in CalFresh:
- You will not become a public charge because you are getting CalFresh.
- You will not be denied U.S. citizenship because you get CalFresh benefits.
- If you get CalFresh, it will not hurt your chances of getting a green card.
- Applying for CalFresh will not affect your (or your family’s) immigration status.
- CalFresh does not share information with immigration enforcement officials.
- All children born in the U.S. can get CalFresh benefits if they qualify. It does not matter where their parents were born.
For more information, please visit the full Public Charge Rule explanation on our partner’s website San Diego Hunger Coalition.
