CHICAGO \u2013 The city of Chicago is joining a lawsuit against President Donald Trump\u2019s administration over a new immigration rule that could make some immigrants ineligible for green cards or visas if they use public benefits like food stamps, housing assistance or Medicaid.<\/p>\n
Chicago joined a coalition led by New York City in suing the Department of Homeland Security and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services over the change to the public charge rule<\/a> that are set to take effect Friday. The public charge rule allows the government to deny a person\u2019s immigration application if they are deemed to be likely \u201cpublic charges\u201d that would overly rely on public assistance. <\/p>\n The cities of San Francisco and Seattle, as well as counties in California and Washington states, also joined the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.<\/p>\n In July, the Department of Homeland Security announced changes<\/a> to the public charge rule.<\/p>\n The new rule ends a Biden-era public charge policy that allowed authorities to consider only an applicant\u2019s use of cash benefits, including supplemental income programs.<\/p>\n The new guidance allows officials to look at whether a noncitizen has used cash assistance as well as housing assistance, food stamps, financial aid for college and other public benefits or is likely to do so at \u201cany time.\u201d It applies to spouses and family members of United States citizens who are applying for green cards and immigrants applying for work visas, as well as religious workers, investors and other types of visas. It does not apply to those seeking asylum or Temporary Protected Statues, according to USCIS<\/a>.<\/p>\n Those who have used or may use such benefits can have their immigration application denied under the Trump administration\u2019s new guidelines.<\/p>\n Officials from several cities suing the federal government said the new rule could push away immigrant and mixed-status families from safety-net, health and housing programs, even if they are eligible for them.<\/p>\n \u201cChicago will not stand by while the federal government forces immigrant families to With this change, the federal government is seeking to \u201cradically and unilaterally change the meaning\u201d of the term public charge, upending over a century of law and practice, the cities said in the lawsuit. <\/p>\n \u201cThe new federal public charge rule not only sweeps aside more than a century of established law \u2013 it is intentionally vague as a means of creating uncertainty and fear,\u201d New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a news conference announcing the lawsuit Monday.<\/p>\n It could also cause U.S. citizens, including children of immigrants, to forgo using housing, food stamps, college financial aid and other means-based benefits they are entitled to, the municipalities said in the lawsuit.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said sanctuary states \u201care terrified they will lose federal funds\u201d because immigrants might not be able to access welfare programs under the new rules.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re shaking in our boots over this supposedly terrible outcome,\u201d the spokesperson said. <\/p>\n Several states also sued the federal government over changes to the public charge rules during President Donald Trump\u2019s first administration. <\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n Support Local News!<\/p>\n Subscribe to Block Club Chicago<\/a>,\u00a0an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. 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choose between putting food on the table, taking their children to the doctor, or protecting
their ability to remain in this country,\u201d Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. \u201cThis rule is not only cruel, it is unlawful, and it threatens the health and safety of our entire city.\u201d<\/p>\n