New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration Monday over its latest effort to further restrict foreigners from receiving visas or green cards if they are on welfare.
The Big Apple sued over the Trump administration’s upcoming changes to the “public charge” rule, which allows the federal government to deny immigration status to those who are unlikely to “be self-sufficient” and likely to be “dependent on taxpayer-funded government benefits,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
On September 18, the federal government is set to expand the list of welfare programs that immigration officers may weigh against applicants.
During a press conference on Monday, Mamdani claimed that “up to four million” people would be affected by the changes, warning that “people could die” as a result.
“The toll of this new rule cannot be overstated. It is estimated that up to four million people from across the country could unenroll from their health care alone, including 1.8 million children. None of this is abstract. People could die,” the democratic socialist mayor said.
“As a result of these changes, the rate of premature mortality in immigrant communities in New York City could increase by up to 10.6% within just the next five years,” he said. “The data is clear, denying people services does not erase their need, it compounds it, generating a greater cost to our system that will be placed on the backs of working people for years to come. Nothing about this rule will reduce waste or keep Americans safer or improve New Yorkers’ lives. It is simply a vehicle for confusion and a vehicle for cruelty.”
In its legal challenge, New York City is joined by Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Clara County, California, and King County, Washington.
New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James also filed a separate lawsuit alongside 21 other Democrat-run states to challenge the upcoming changes.
“We will use every legal tool available to us to challenge this rule and protect New Yorkers from unlawful federal action and stand up for immigrants who are our neighbors, our friends, our family members, but most importantly New Yorkers,” James, who also joined New York City’s legal challenge, said during Monday’s presser.
