NYC Mayor Mamdani, AG James file lawsuits to stop Trump administration's public charge rule for immigrants
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined several mayors from across the country in a joint lawsuit Monday.
The suit challenges the federal government's new public charge rule, which is set to take effect Friday. The rule gives immigration agents leeway to deny green cards or visas to lawful immigrants on the basis of being a public charge, meaning someone using programs like Medicaid or food assistance.
Officers would also be ablt to look at age, health, family status, finances, education and skills.
New York state Attorney General Letitia James and more than a dozen community leaders and advocates stood with the mayor.
Those advocates said fear is spreading among immigrant families in New York City.
"What we are seeing at the moment is people are fearful, at the moment, to enroll in any benefits, because it may put them at risk to be able to adjust immigration status for the future," Arlene Cruz Escobar of Make the Road New York said.
Advocated said mixed-status families may also be hesitant to use benefits they may legally qualify for.
"This is an undisguised effort to strip New Yorkers of the services they rely on, the public benefits they are entitled to," Mamdani said.
According to the city, if the new rule goes into effect, up to 4 million people nationwide could unenroll from healthcare plans, including 1.8 million children. That could increase the rate of premature mortality in immigrant communities in New York City by 10.6% in the next five years, city officials say.
"New Yorkers will be afraid to see a doctor or ask for help they are legally entitled to. That fear will not stop at the families that the federal government is targeting. Families who remain fully eligible for benefits will feel a chilling effect, and all New Yorkers will pay for it," Mamdani said.
"Not only are they trying to make the public charge rule worse but they're giving an enormous amount of discretion to immigration officers," said Murad Awawdeh of the New York Immigration Coalition.
"Immigrant New Yorkers should not have to choose between putting food on the table, getting the health care they need and pursuing a future in this country and mix status families should not have to be torn apart," James said. "The rule would allow immigration officers to consider use of critical benefits like Medicaid and SNAP and even participation in school meal programs as part of an applicant's circumstances."
Federal officials say the change restores a longstanding principle of self-sufficiency, arguing immigrants should be able to support themselves and the government benefits shouldn't incentivize immigration.
CBS News New York has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security about the lawsuit and have not yet heard back.
New York challenged the Trump administration's earlier version of the policy, and city and state leaders say they are going to fight this expanded one, too.
"Don't drop out of your health care, SNAP, food services until you've spoken to a legal provider," Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said.
Twenty-one other states, including California, Illinois and Colorado, along with the District of Columbia, joined James' lawsuit. A coalition of cities including Chicago, San Francisco and Santa Clara joined Mamdani's lawsuit.
The public charge rule does not apply to U.S. citizens or asylum seekers.
New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, can call the MOIA's Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 1-800-354-0365 or 311 and say "Immigration Legal" to get connected to free and confidential immigration legal assistance.
