A new report from the Food Bank for New York City says an increasing amount of immigrant families are foregoing public food assistance for food pantries out of fear of the federal government.
The report released Monday says a proposal from the Trump Administration to more strictly interpret the public charge rule, which would make it harder for immigrants taking public assistance to get green cards, is having a chilling effect on those seeking aid from the federal government, including food stamps. As a result, the report says more people are visiting food pantries and soup kitchens around the city, even if some family members are American citizens.
"There are so many families where the parents are immigrants and the children are not," said Margarette Purvis, President of the Food Bank. "They are eligible for resources and shouldn't be leaning on charities. But because of fear, they are."
The report also found an increase in those at food pantries asking to have their names removed from their databases.