How misinformation and fear keep Philly immigrants from accessing public benefits

For low-income immigrant families in the United States, applying for basic assistance can be a grueling task.

The processes that undocumented families must follow can be confusing and at times can deter them from seeking assistance. Misinformation about who is qualified for certain benefits is a problem and can influence a fear of being deported.

“Immigrants of all statuses are really afraid, for a number of reasons,” said Maripat Pileggi, a staff attorney at Community Legal Services, a nonprofit with locations in both Center City and North Philadelphia; immigrants make up 14 percent of Philadelphians living in poverty. “When it comes to benefit access, what I have found is that immigrant families have fears [about] immigration policy that they believe are out in the world.”

One of the biggest fears: a lack of privacy, especially for “families that include undocumented people or people who feel that they are at risk of negative immigration consequences,” Pileggi said. Families are afraid, for instance, that when they submit an application for benefits their information about who they are and where they are living will be made accessible to federal immigration officials.

But even for an undocumented parent applying for food stamps or medical assistance for their child who is a U.S. citizen, information about who they are and where they are employed is protected. In 2013, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) clarified its policy stating that the agency does not use information provided on personal health care applications for immigration enforcement.

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Dominique “Peak” Johnson is a North Philadelphia journalist. He is one of the founding editors of the North Philly Metropolis. Currently he freelances for WHYY, Billy Penn and Citywide Stories. Click here to learn more about Peak.