Protect the Child Tax Credit for Children of Immigrants

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you for standing up for children and protecting the integrity of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in the payroll tax deal. Your leadership in drawing the line and rejecting attempts to balance the budget on the backs of children and low-income immigrant workers further proves your commitment to a fairer and more equitable economy.

The CTC and its refundable component, the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), were enacted to help working families financially care for their children. The CTC is one of our nation’s most effective anti-poverty tools for working families. Sixty-three percent of families who use the ACTC earn less than $25,000 per year. If the House-passed measure restricting eligibility for the ACTC had been approved, half of the financial harm would have fallen on hardworking taxpayers who are raising children on hourly wages of $10 or less. Denying this credit to these already struggling families would have compromised their ability to put food on the table or pay for rent or heat.

The increasing attention to our nation’s economic disparity is sparking both national and individual reflection. We are grateful to you for urging that our public policy be anchored in the values of shared responsibility and fairness. Protecting all children from hunger and homelessness is sound policy and the morally right thing to do.

Sincerely,

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