Mamdani against Trump: Twenty-two states across the US are suing the Trump administration over a new rule scheduled to take effect on Friday that will make it more difficult for immigrants from many countries to enter the United States.
The new rule is intended to give immigration officials broader discretion and the ability to deny immigrants entry to the US if there is concern that they will require public assistance to cover their living, housing, or healthcare expenses.
The rule also applies to families with legal status in the US, who could face deportation if they seek financial assistance for housing or healthcare needs.
According to New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the new rule will cost states across the US billions of dollars in federal grants intended to assist immigrants.
They also claim that the rule will prevent immigrant families from being reunited, out of concern that people seeking to enter the US to reunite with their families will choose not to apply for visas.
“Working families should not be forced to go without the support they need because they fear that seeking assistance will lead to their deportation. This rule exploits that fear and causes families to forgo food assistance, healthcare services, and other public benefits to which they are legally entitled," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement to the media.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York, seeks to overturn the new rule.