by Ben Whedon
New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday announced a joint lawsuit with other mayors against the Trump administration over a planned rule that would block green cards and visas to people using welfare programs.
“The new public charge rule seeks to push immigrant families away from the programs that have kept people fed and healthy for decades. New Yorkers will be afraid to see a doctor or ask for help they are legally entitled to. That fear will not stop at the families that the federal government is targeting. Families who remain fully eligible for benefits will feel a chilling effect, and all New Yorkers will pay for it,” said Mamdani.
“New York City is proud to lead a coalition of cities and counties — Chicago, San Francisco, Santa Clara County, Seattle, and King County — standing firmly against this cruel and unlawful rule. Our immigrant communities are not a burden. They are the people who make New York City and country great. We will use every tool at our disposal to ensure they can continue to live here with dignity and without fear,” he added.
The suit comes alongside a separate challenge from New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“Hardworking families should not be forced to go without the support they need because they fear asking for assistance will get them deported,” James said. “This rule preys on that fear and counts on families forfeiting the food assistance, health care coverage, and other public benefits to which they are legally entitled. My office fought this exact policy once before and won, and we are leading the nation to ensure the Trump administration cannot inflict this harm on families again.”
Among the cities joining New York City in the challenge are Chicago and San Francisco.
The proposal is one of several administrative efforts from Trump to curb legal immigration and lower the number of people receiving taxpayer dollars through social safety net programs.
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Ben Whedon is a reporter for Just the News. Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network and contributed to this story.
Photo “Letitia James and Zohran Mamdani” by New York State Attorney General.
