Trump’s Green Card rule challenged by a coalition of states and local governments who call new policy ‘catastrophic’

Trump’s new Green Card rule, scheduled to come into effect from September 18, has been legally challenged by a coalition of states and local governments.

A new Green Card rule is scheduled to come into effect on September 18, in which an officer can deny a Green Card to an applicant if they can potentially become a burden on the US government. With four days left for this new rule, a coalition of states and local governments Monday sued the administration over the “catastrophic” policy.The challenge, brought by two separate lawsuits, has aimed to block a policy that is set to take effect Friday. The suit filed by 22 states and the District of Columbia argued that the policy would hurt immigrant families by forcing them to either turn away from public assistance programs to meet their basic needs or risk being denied green cards in the future, the New York Times reported.It also argued that it would harm states and localities by straining emergency rooms and reducing participation in food stamps, which would drain money from local businesses that depend on the federal benefits.“Hard-working families should not be forced to go without the support they need because they fear asking for assistance will get them deported,” Letitia James, the Democratic attorney general of New York who led the suit, said in a statement.

What is the new ‘public charge’ rule?

Trump officials have said the policy, known as the “public charge” rule, is necessary to protect public resources and to restore “the basic principle that immigrants must be able to support themselves.”USCIS officers will consider the five statutory factors and any other factor relevant to assessing the alien’s likelihood at any time of becoming a public charge, including the alien’s receipt of means-tested public benefits, such as cash assistance for income maintenance, housing assistance, food stamps, financial aid for college, or any other similar benefit. For means-tested public benefits received before September 18, 2026, USCIS will only consider the alien’s receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance and long-term institutionalization at the government’s expense. For means-tested public benefits received on or after September 18, 2026, USCIS considers any and all benefits. USCIS will review all relevant evidence in an alien’s record and make case-by-case decisions in the totality of the alien’s circumstances.