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Thank you to each advocate who wrote about how the Administration’s proposed public charge rule would affect our communities - every comment, every story, was essential.

FCNL joined with the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition to reach a goal of submitting 100,000 comments against this “public charge” proposal. When the comment period closed on December 10, there were more than double that number of comments.

What’s next?


Share Your Immigration or Advocacy Story

Act Now


Government officials must now read more than 200,000 comments before a final rule is published. If and when it is finalized, the rule will not go into effect for at least 60 days. Our partners leading litigation efforts are also reading through comments to prepare legal challenges.

Before the next steps for this administrative effort however, Congress must decide how to pass seven spending bills ahead of the December 21 deadline. The most controversial question remains how many billions of dollars Congress will pour into militarized border enforcement, fencing, and walls.

Our nation is nearing a potential partial shutdown of the federal government because our President and too many of our legislators have forgotten the human suffering that additional unchecked immigration enforcement, border fencing, and a shutdown will spur.

Keep Sharing Your Stories

You can help us remind legislators what is at stake in this debate.

Personal stories about how federal immigration policies impact people in communities across this nation are a critical way that we show up for one another and work toward the world we seek. Your voice will be so important as we face the immigration challenges to come.

Tell FCNL staff how your community is experiencing these immigration crackdowns.

These stories will help bolster our advocacy throughout the end of the year and as we welcome a new Congress which will have new opportunities to act on immigration and exert oversight over existing enforcement and funding.

At every juncture let us remind each other - and our legislators - of our shared humanity. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to advance a more just immigration system.

Hannah Evans

Hannah Graf Evans

Former Legislative Representative, Immigration and Refugee Policy

Hannah Graf Evans led FCNL’s lobbying for compassionate immigration and refugee policies, with a particular focus on detention practices, the rights of border communities, and protection of vulnerable communities.

Gabriela Viera

Gabriela Viera

Program Assistant, Immigration & Refugee Policy

Gabriela Viera served as the Program Assistant for Immigration and Refugee Policy for 2018-2019.