On Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Supreme Court ruled to allow new “public charge” immigration rules to take effect – affirming the same kind of wealth test that condemned tens of thousands of Jewish immigrants to die during World War II.

By privileging wealth, education and English proficiency, this policy disproportionately impacts non-white immigrants and would deny them a future in the U.S. if they have ever used, or are judged as likely to use, public assistance for basic needs, like food, healthcare and housing.

Even though it is unclear how this policy will be implemented, the damage has been already done to immigrant families and communities.

While the rule would apply only to people applying for a green card, the Urban Institute says that confusion and fear about what the policy means and who it affects has caused 1 in 7 immigrant adults to avoid public benefits and services. Even if the rule does not apply to them.

This fear and confusion causing immigrant families to withdraw from services providing critical needs would have devastating effects for all communities.

When the public charge was first introduced in 2018, Grantmakers Concerned for Immigrants and Refugees organized more than 60 funders, grantmakers and philanthropic support organizations (PSOs) submitted public comments against the rule.

However, philanthropy cannot merely maintain its status quo of funding and support – it must also ramp up its support of the communities fighting in the face of xenophobia.

Read the full article about philanthropy responding to xenophobia by Stephanie Peng at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.