Mamdani blasts feds for waging 'campaign of violence and terror' against NYC's immigrants
New York City Leads Lawsuit Against Trump‑era Public‑Charge Rule
New York City is joining a coalition of sanctuary jurisdictions in suing the Trump administration over a new immigration rule that expands the discretion of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to consider noncash benefits—such as Medicaid, SNAP and housing vouchers—when determining whether a non‑citizen is likely to become a public charge. The rule, issued in July and set to take effect Friday, replaces a 2022 guideline that limited officers to evaluating only cash benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
On Monday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that New York will lead a five‑state, five‑county coalition that also includes Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Clara County and King County. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, seeks to block the rule on the basis that it “grossly violates the law” and will cause “irreparable damage” to immigrant families and the city’s social fabric.
“The federal government has waged a campaign of violence and terror,” Mamdani said at the announcement. “ICE has broken into our neighbors’ homes, work sites and schools. And it has targeted those who have come to our country in search of refuge and opportunity.” He went on to praise immigrants for their contributions to the city’s infrastructure and services. “Immigrants from every country, from every continent, who speak every language and worship in every conceivable way drive our buses and our trains, teach our children how to read, and tend to us when we are sick,” Mamdani said. “They fought for the 8‑hour workday for fair pay and workplace protections that deliver dignity into the lives of so many.”
The new rule, according to USCIS, is intended to “ensure that noncitizens are self‑reliant and not dependent on taxpayer‑funded government benefits.” But the rule’s broader scope has raised concerns that families—including U.S.‑citizen children—will forego essential services such as SNAP, Medicaid and affordable housing for fear that using them could jeopardize their immigration status. “Families, including those with children who are U.S. citizens, have already begun to forego essential services like SNAP, Medicaid, and affordable housing out of the fear that if they use these programs, immigration officers could use it as justification to deny them a future in our country,” Mamdani said.
USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler countered that the administration is upholding the rule of law and protecting taxpayers from subsidizing aliens who may become dependent on public benefits. “The Trump administration is upholding the rule of law and protecting American taxpayers from subsidizing aliens who may become dependent on public benefits,” Kahler said in a statement. “USCIS is committed to safeguarding the safety, security, and financial well‑being of Americans.”
DHS has not yet responded to a request for comment.
The lawsuit comes as the Biden administration’s 2022 rule, which narrowed officers’ discretion to only cash benefits, was struck down by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this year. The new Trump‑era rule, which reverses that decision, has drawn criticism from civil‑rights groups and immigration advocates who argue that it could deter immigrants from seeking needed health and nutrition assistance.
For New York City, the case is not only a legal battle but also a statement about the city’s commitment to protecting its diverse, immigrant‑led communities. As the rule begins to be enforced on Friday, the outcome of the lawsuit could set a precedent for how immigration benefits are evaluated across the United States.