Blue cities sue Trump administration to keep immigrants on welfare

Published September 15, 2026 11:01am ET | Updated September 15, 2026 11:01am ET



Democratic mayors from major U.S. cities have sued the Trump administration following the federal government’s attempt to deny green cards and visas to immigrants who may become financially dependent on U.S. welfare programs while in the country.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Monday that New York; Chicago; the city and county of San Francisco; Santa Clara County, California; Seattle; King County, Washington; and the Public Rights Project had filed a lawsuit against Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow over the government’s new public charge rule.

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