New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned that President Donald Trump’s new green card “public charge” rule could prompt immigrant families to forgo Medicaid and other benefits when it takes effect Friday, as he joins a multi-city lawsuit in the Southern District of New York seeking to block the policy.
“The new public charge rule aims to push immigrant families away from programs that have kept people fed and healthy for decades. New Yorkers will be afraid to go to the doctor or ask for help to which they are legally entitled,” Mamdani said in a statement.
“Families who remain fully eligible for benefits will see a chilling effect, and all New Yorkers will pay for it.” Mamdani suggested that up to four million people across the country may have been frightened and refused medical treatment for fear it would jeopardize their immigration status, although this figure has not been independently verified.
Cities join forces to fight tightening benefits
The lawsuit is part of a broader lawsuit led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and 21 other states and the District of Columbia that are seeking to stop the Department of Homeland Security rule before it takes effect.
New York leads a separate coalition of local governments that includes Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, California’s Santa Clara County and Washington’s King County.
Both complaints argue that the rule unlawfully expands the traditional definition of “public charge,” the test used to determine whether someone can be denied a green card, visa or entry into the United States on the basis that they rely or may rely on government support.
Under the challenged rule, the complaints argue, a broader range of public benefits can be considered when assessing whether an applicant may become a public charge.
Under the new DHS rule, officials can weigh non-cash benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers, including those used by family members such as U.S. citizen children.
Previously, specific cash benefits, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Supplemental Security Income, were taken into account, while most non-cash benefits were excluded.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson supported the lawsuit, saying the rule “forces immigrant families to choose between putting food on the table, taking their children to the doctor, or protecting their ability to stay in this country.” He added that it was “not only cruel, but also illegal.”
States warn of billions in lost federal aid
The state lawsuit, filed separately by James’ office, focuses on the financial consequences if immigrant and mixed-status families were to drop out of programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
According to court filings, DHS’s own estimates suggest states could lose about $4.05 billion a year in federal funding for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, of which the plaintiff estimates they will lose about $2.2 billion.
New York argues that it is particularly vulnerable given its large immigrant population and extensive public benefit and school nutrition programs.
James said the administration is exploiting fear among vulnerable families, adding: “Hard-working families should not be forced to go without the support they need because they fear asking for help will get them deported.”
“This rule builds on that fear and is designed to deprive families of food assistance, health insurance and other public benefits to which they are legally entitled.”
Neither suit seeks damages, but both ask the court to invalidate the rule, block DHS from enforcing it and restore a narrower Biden-era standard that excluded non-cash benefits from consideration.
The complaints also allege the rule change is “arbitrary and capricious,” arguing that DHS ignored warnings from public health experts that families would avoid preventative care and instead seek emergency care when conditions worsened, driving up costs.
The Trump administration has argued that the United States should be more selective in providing green cards or visas to those dependent on government assistance, while DHS has been approached for comment on the latest legal challenge.