FYI: One-fifth of immigrant families surveyed by the Children’s Defense Fund-New York said they were concerned that signing up for public health insurance programs would cause them problems with immigration officials, and another fifth said they weren’t sure if it would cause trouble. Forty percent of respondents either thought enrolling would hurt their chances of getting a green card or said they weren’t sure if it would hurt them. CDFNY surveyed 645 immigrant families and service providers, with the sample split about evenly between the two types. The goal was to examine the causes of the city’s health insurance disparity between citizens and noncitizens, and CDFNY concluded that the city needs a massive public education campaign and must simplify the enrollment process. All immigrant children, even undocumented, may receive health insurance if they meet the standard eligibility criteria. [12/17/03]