New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Monday that his city is leading a coalition of six sanctuary jurisdictions in a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a new rule that expands how immigration officials weigh public benefits use when deciding whether an applicant is likely to become a “public charge.”
Joining New York City in the suit are Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Clara County and King County.
Mamdani accused federal immigration authorities of running what he called “a campaign of violence and terror” against immigrant communities.
“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 in search of opportunity. These actions are an assault on our civic fabric, on our shared values. And no matter how much destruction they have already caused, it continues,” Mamdani said.
The rule, issued in July by the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is set to take effect Friday. It broadens officers’ discretion to count noncash benefits, including Medicaid, SNAP and housing vouchers, when determining whether an immigrant is likely to become dependent on government assistance.
That marks a reversal from guidelines set in 2022 under the Biden administration, which limited the public-charge test to cash benefits such as Supplemental Security Income and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
USCIS says the rule change is meant to ensure noncitizens are “self-reliant and not dependent on taxpayer-funded government benefits.” USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler defended the policy, saying it protects taxpayers.
“The Trump administration is upholding the rule of law and protecting American taxpayers from subsidizing aliens who may become dependent on public benefits. USCIS is committed to safeguarding the safety, security, and financial well-being of Americans,” Kahler said.
Mamdani called the rule change a “gross illegality” that would cause “irreparable damage,” arguing it is designed to frighten immigrant families away from services they are legally entitled to.
“Make no mistake, this is an undisguised effort to strip New Yorkers of the services they rely on, the public benefits they are entitled to. 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,” he said.
Mamdani also credited immigrants broadly with building and sustaining city services, saying they “drive our buses and our trains, teach our children how to read, and tend to us when we are sick,” and pointed to immigrant labor history behind the 8-hour workday and workplace protections.
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
