Federal law has long required immigrants who are seeking permanent resident status to prove they won’t be a burden on taxpayers.
The Trump administration has announced a new rule that would broaden the definition of who is considered a so-called “public charge.”
In Massachusetts, more than 500,000 legal immigrants could be affected by the change, according to state officials and advocates.
A number of organizations have spoken out about the proposed rule. The Massachusetts Medical Society called it “inhumane.”
WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Christina Maxwell, the director of programs for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
