FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: napawf@berlinrosen.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following statement can be attributed to Christina Baal-Owens, Executive Director, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF):

“The public charge rule is another cruel attempt to punish immigrants by scaring them away from the health care and basic services they need. It will force people to think twice before seeing a doctor, filling a prescription, or accessing benefits they qualify for because they fear it could jeopardize their future in this country.

For Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities, the impact will be especially severe. Many AANHPI families are mixed-status, and uncertainty about one person’s immigration status can keep an entire household from treating illnesses or getting preventive care.

This administration is prioritizing politics over public health and putting all of our communities at risk in the process. DHS should withdraw this rule and stop using immigrants’ health and well-being as a political tool.”

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build collective power so that all AANHPI women and girls can have full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities.