Twenty-two U.S. states and Washington, D.C., filed lawsuits to block a policy that restricts permanent residency (green card) for immigrants who use public benefits.
On the 14th (local time), according to the New York Times (NYT) and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), 22 states including New York and California and Washington, D.C., asked a court to halt enforcement, calling the policy a so-called "catastrophic policy" that makes it harder for immigrants who rely on public benefits to obtain permanent residency.
Separately, some cities led by Democratic mayors, including New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle, also filed lawsuits seeking to block enforcement of the policy.
The policy is set to take effect on the 18th (local time). Its core is to allow immigration authorities to more broadly factor an applicant's use of public benefits into the review. If authorities determine an applicant has used government benefits such as food assistance or medical assistance, or is likely to rely on them in the future, they can deny a green card, expanding immigration authorities' discretion.
The 22 states and Washington, D.C., said the policy could force immigrant households to forgo essential public support for their livelihoods or risk denial of permanent residency in the future. They argued that if the policy takes effect, immigrants will avoid using medical assistance, increasing the burden on emergency rooms, and reduced use of food stamps (a food assistance program for low-income people) will dampen local economies, harming state and local governments.
The Trump administration says the policy is needed to protect public resources and restore "the basic principle that immigrants must support themselves." While U.S. federal law has limited permanent residency for immigrants likely to depend on government support, prior reviews mainly considered cash assistance or use of long-term care facilities and excluded benefits such as food stamps and Medicaid (medical assistance for low-income people). But when the new policy takes effect, use of those benefits will also be broadly reflected in green card reviews.
The NYT analyzed the policy as one of the Trump administration's broad immigration enforcement measures aimed at curbing both legal and illegal immigration. According to the Department of Homeland Security's own estimates, if the policy takes effect, about 950,000 people could drop out of public assistance programs or forgo enrolling. The Department of Homeland Security is currently, ahead of the November midterm elections, using methods that restrict employment opportunities and access to federal support programs for non-citizens to pressure voluntary departures.
Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayor, said at a news conference that "(the policy) is merely a tool that sows confusion and fosters cruelty," adding that roughly 4 million people nationwide could cancel their health insurance because of the rule. He added, "It will instead increase the need (for welfare services) and impose a greater expense on our system."