Democratic Mayors Sue Trump Administration Over Immigration Rule

Democratic leaders, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, are filing a lawsuit against President Trump’s administration for reinstating the “public charge” rule, which they argue restricts welfare-dependent legal immigration to the United States.

In July, the Trump administration reinstated this rule, indicating that it would be more challenging for legal immigrants to obtain green cards if they have utilized any form of welfare in the past, such as public housing, food stamps, or subsidized healthcare.

During a press conference on Monday, Mamdani expressed his concerns, stating that under the public charge rule, immigrants “will be afraid to see a doctor or ask for help they are legally entitled to.”

“The new public charge rule aims to push immigrant families away from the programs that have historically helped keep people fed and healthy. This fear will not be confined to just the families targeted by the federal government,” Mamdani added.

“Families who are still fully eligible for benefits will feel a chilling effect, and this is something that will impact everyone in New York. Our city is proud to lead a coalition of cities and counties—including Chicago, San Francisco, Santa Clara County, Seattle, and King County—standing against this harsh and unlawful rule. Our immigrant communities enrich New York City and our nation. We will do everything we can to ensure they can live here with dignity and without fear.”

In a similar vein, Johnson stated that “Chicago will not sit idle while the federal government forces immigrant families to choose between feeding their families or seeking medical care, all while risking their right to stay in this country.”

“This rule is not only inhumane; it also breaks the law and jeopardizes the health and safety of our entire city,” Johnson remarked.

“More than half a million residents in Chicago were born outside the U.S., and they are integral to our community. We’ve faced these kinds of attacks before, and alongside New York and other cities nationwide, we will stand against them again. We will utilize all available resources to protect our immigrant communities and defend their right to live with dignity and without fear.”

Recent findings from the Center for Immigration Studies highlighted significant reliance on welfare among immigrants in the United States. From 2021 to 2025, approximately 47 percent of households headed by immigrants were using one or more traditional welfare programs, compared to 28 percent of households headed by American citizens—showing a notable gap in welfare utilization between these groups.

The lawsuit, titled New York City v. DHS, is filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.