The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights condemns the US Supreme Court’s decision to lift a lower court order that had blocked implementation of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations on public charge.  The Supreme Court’s ruling allows the DHS regulations to go into effect throughout the United States except in Illinois, where a separate court order for now still blocks the rule from being implemented. The public charge provisions of federal immigration laws allow the federal government to deny visas and green cards to individuals whom it believes will rely on government support for their livelihood.  DHS issued a final version of new public charge regulations in August 2019 that would count medical, nutritional, and housing assistance programs toward public charge, and dramatically raises standards for who would be considered likely to become a public charge.  More information regarding PIF-IL and public charge is available at www.icirr.org/publiccharge and through ICIRR’s Family Support Hotline, 855-HELP-MY-FAMILY (855-435-7693).