States and Cities Sue Trump Administration Over Policy Restricting Green Card Benefits

A coalition of 22 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration on Monday over a new policy that would allow individual immigration officers to deny green cards based on use of public benefits.

The new policy changes a long-established “public charge” rule, which dates back to the Immigration Act of 1882, established to ensure that newcomers to the country would be able to provide for themselves without relying on governmental benefits.

During his first term, the Trump administration attempted to impose a similar policy that likewise widened the number of categories immigration officers could consider, including Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers. That policy was also met with legal challenges and subsequently reversed by Joe Biden’s administration.

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The new change is more expansive than the previous attempt. This time, it does not specify which safety nets should be considered and allows immigration officers to consider government benefits that are applied for on behalf of family members, including children who are US citizens.

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The states’ filing argues that the impact of the policy change could be disastrous, noting that states would lose billions from the federal government because of the reduced use of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Chip). They also said citizens who live with noncitizens might avoid signing up for benefits, which would have both financial and health impacts.

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