Yahoo Finance: Prof. Acevedo-Garcia Discusses Inequities in the GOP’s Child Tax Credit Policy
In a story on Yahoo Finance, the Child Tax Credit (CTC) provision within the Trump Administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is examined and while it may seem to benefit families, it provides little appeal for low-income, mixed-status, immigrant families who will see minimal relief and even less inclusion. The new CTC policy raises the tax credit by $200 per child, but caveats in the policy negatively affect millions of families with little or no taxable income, leaving them unable to qualify for the full tax benefit.
Dr. Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, professor at BU’s School of Social Work (BUSSW), weighs in on the topic with criticism of the new child tax credit law based on her research. She highlights inequities in the policy, particularly the exclusion of the most vulnerable of the American population – children. Designed to reward earned income, tax liability, and immigration status, this policy intentionally undermines U.S.-born children with undocumented parents.
Excerpt from “Child tax credit gets small boost in Trump’s tax bill, but millions of families are left out” by Emily Ockerman:
Households where both parents lack a Social Security number — undocumented immigrants, including those whose children have a Social Security number and are US citizens — will also be shut out under the new law.
“We are excluding some of the most vulnerable kids that have very, very high poverty rates,” said Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, a professor at the Boston University School of Social Work. About 1.8 million children live in households where both parents are undocumented, she added.