Over 20 Democratic attorneys general have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration following the announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that undocumented immigrants will be prohibited from accessing certain benefits.
Joining forces with state attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., New York Attorney General Letitia James is at the forefront of this lawsuit. According to a statement from James, they aim for the court to deem the new regulations illegal and to halt their implementation via both preliminary and permanent injunctions.
As noted by Breitbart News, in early July, HHS Executive Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disclosed that the department is taking steps to restrict undocumented immigrants’ access to various benefits, including those from community behavioral health clinics, the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, and the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment programs managed by the Department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, among others.
The Democratic Attorney General’s Coalition has also requested the repeal of these new rules, the restoration of longstanding practices, and a halt to the federal government using the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PWORA) as a pretext to dismantle essential safety net programs in the future.
“For decades, states like New York have developed health, education, and family support systems to assist those in need,” James remarked in a statement. “These programs function effectively because they are accessible and compassionate. Now, the federal government is abruptly undermining that foundation, jeopardizing cancer screenings, early childhood education, primary care, and more.”
Reported by Breitbart News:
Since 1998, during the Bill Clinton administration, HHS has been able to reinterpret the PWORA, allowing undocumented individuals to access certain benefits.
In a post on X, James remarked that the Trump administration seems to be “discouraging local health clinics, food banks, and other vital programs by banning them from serving residents,” according to RFK Jr. He explained that this approach had been “overly prolonged” and accused the U.S. government of misusing the taxes from hardworking Americans to encourage illegal immigration.
Kennedy further stated that this decision to restrict undocumented immigrants’ access to taxpayer-funded programs aims to “restore the integrity of federal social programs” and uphold the rule of law.
