States file similar lawsuit challenging same rule
A coalition of cities including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle filed the suit in Manhattan federal court on Monday, arguing that the rule departs from longstanding precedent. Prior precedent had restricted denials to immigrants whose primary dependence on government assistance was what made them inadmissible; the new rule, the coalition’s complaint says, wrongly extends that standard to anyone receiving temporary or supplemental help.
The filing is the most high-profile legal showdown yet between Mamdani and President Trump, who in his second term has moved to restrict legal immigration and limit entry for immigrants of limited means. Mamdani campaigned for mayor last year on a pledge to protect New York City immigrants under the Trump administration.
The federal rule, announced over the summer, would give adjudicators far broader authority to deny a green card or visa based on an applicant’s past use of government benefits — or based on a determination that the applicant might become reliant on such benefits in the future. The administration has said the rule, which takes effect Sept. 18, is intended to discourage immigrants from using local public programs such as food and healthcare assistance. Under the framework, a green card could also be denied if the applicant or a family member received state or federal financial aid for college.
In announcing the suit, Mamdani said the rule would deter not only immigrant families but also U.S. citizens with ties to immigrant families from enrolling in programs for which they qualify. He estimated that roughly four million people nationwide could drop their healthcare coverage as a result.
“Nothing about this rule will reduce waste or keep Americans safer or improve New Yorkers’ lives,” he said. “It is simply a vehicle for confusion and a vehicle for cruelty.”
A White House representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, ranks among the most public clashes yet between the mayor and the president. Trump praised Mamdani during an Oval Office visit in November. Mamdani has said the two occasionally discuss New York City, and that a White House meeting in February helped secure the release of a Columbia University student held by federal immigration agents.
Separately, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Monday a similar lawsuit against the Trump administration over the new rule on behalf of New York and nearly two dozen other states around the country.
The Trump administration has more broadly sought to curtail immigration by foreigners of limited financial means, and the new rule makes it easier for the government to deny green cards to applicants who cannot show adequate financial assets or a sufficient level of education to succeed in the U.S. Beyond finances, adjudicators have also been reviewing immigrants’ health records — including whether an applicant is obese, has diabetes, or is permanently disabled.