As of April 1, 2024, immigrant survivors of abuse, trafficking, and other crimes can now apply for certain immigration benefits for free. This Community Explainer details which survivor-based benefits are covered by the new fee exemptions, as well as other changes that may reduce financial barriers to accessing immigration benefits.

This Community Explainer details what Public Charge is, who it does and does not impact, and what immigrants should know when considering certain public benefits and their family’s immigration circumstances.

Throughout the Biden administration the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) has called on the President to both restore the systems that offered protection and access to immigration benefits decimated during the Trump years and steer us on a new path toward dignity and justice. This proposal highlights the critical actions immigrant communities need before this administration ends include ensuring immigration benefits are equitable and accessible for low-income immigrants of color and ending immigration arrests, immigration detention, and deportations.