US cities, states sue Trump administration over immigration rule

A nationwide coalition of municipal and state governments filed lawsuits against the administration of US President Donald Trump on Monday to halt a federal immigration rule that permits authorities to deny green cards and visas based on the use of public assistance.

"Nothing about this rule will reduce waste or keep Americans safer or improve New Yorkers' lives," New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, calling the measure "simply a vehicle for confusion and a vehicle for cruelty."

The municipal legal challenge, lodged in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, brings together Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Clara County, King County, and the legal advocacy organization Public Rights Project.

The action targets a Department of Homeland Security regulation scheduled to take effect Friday, which expands the range of safety-net programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), that federal officers can evaluate when assessing whether an applicant might become a "public charge."

Separately, New York Attorney General Letitia James spearheaded a lawsuit backed by 21 other states and the District of Columbia to block the policy, arguing that granting immigration agents "sweeping discretion" to penalize individuals for using statutory public assistance harms community health and stability.