States Sue Trump Administration Over Green Card Restrictions

A coalition of Democratic-led U.S. states, cities, and counties have filed lawsuits challenging a new Trump administration immigration rule that allows federal authorities to reject green card applications from individuals who access public assistance programs, including Medicaid and food stamps.

The rule, scheduled to take effect on Friday, reinstates a policy implemented during Trump's first term. Two separate lawsuits were submitted in Manhattan federal court. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that New York City is leading a coalition of cities suing over the effort to block welfare benefits for certain immigrants. New York State Attorney General Letitia James is also suing on behalf of 22 states.

Mamdani denounced the rule as a form of punishment on immigrants who use public benefits, stating that people could die and the rate of premature mortality in immigrant communities could increase by up to 10.6 percent within five years. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson characterized the plaintiffs as sanctuary states and left-wing leaders who are terrified they will lose federal funds.

The rule expands the list of benefits that could lead to denial of a green card to include non-cash, temporary programs like SNAP and WIC. Opponents argue it could prevent U.S. citizens and their family members from obtaining certain benefits, and that a child's participation in a school's free lunch program could be counted against a parent's application for citizenship.

The rule is expected to cause up to four million people to disenroll from health care, including 1.8 million children. The Trump administration invoked the Immigration Act of 1882, which could deny green cards to immigrants likely to use federal welfare and save American taxpayers an estimated $13 billion per year.