Mixed-Status Families and Immigrant Families with Children Continued Avoiding Safety Net Programs in 2023

During the last two federal administrations, immigrants have experienced rapid shifts in policies affecting their access to public safety net programs. Throughout this period, many adults in immigrant families avoided safety net programs for fear of potential immigration consequences. In this Urban Institute summary, researchers use Well-being and Basic Needs Survey data to provide updated estimates of chilling effects in 2023 among immigrant families (i.e., families in which the respondent or a family member living with them was not born in the US). The analysis examines the differences in these effects based on family citizenship and immigration status and the presence of children under age 19 in the household.