Democrats fight to import welfare-dependent immigrants

Published September 15, 2026 3:03pm ET



Democrats are suing the Trump administration because they seemingly want to continue to import immigrants whom they can ensure will remain dependent on the government and, as a result, remain committed to the Democratic Party.

Multiple Democratic cities and counties, led by New York City and its socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, have sued the Trump administration to block a new immigration rule. That rule would require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to consider whether a green card applicant is on welfare before granting them permanent legal status. This “public charge” rule considers things such as food stamps, Medicaid, and housing assistance as factors that determine whether aspiring immigrants would be leeching from taxpayers rather than contributing to the country.

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