On February 2, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order requiring government agencies to conduct an immediate review of changes made to the Public Charge rules made by the previous administration.
In 2019, the Trump Administration issued changes to Public Charge regulations, adding restrictions to the Public Charge rule that sometimes resulted in fear and misunderstandings on the part of immigrants. Ultimately, migrant families often avoided applying for or continued to receive public benefits that were not impacted by the changes, like the Free and Reduced-Price Meals Program.
Government agencies are to provide a report to President Biden within 60 days describing any actions identified and steps the agencies intend to take to eliminate “sources of fear and other barriers that prevent immigrants from accessing government services available to them.” While this Executive Order does not rescind or replace the existing Public Charge rule, it is hailed as the first step in reversing the changes made by the Trump Administration.