January 1, New York Democrats Launch Legal Attack on Trump Immigration Crackdown

Wyatt’s Take

• NYC’s far-left mayor and NY’s notorious AG are teaming up to sue the Trump administration over common-sense immigration rules that protect American taxpayers
• They’re fighting Trump’s plan to deny visas and green cards to people likely to become welfare dependents — a policy that’s been on the books for over a century
• Twenty-one blue states are joining the lawsuit, proving once again that Democrats care more about non-citizens than hardworking Americans

New York City’s radical mayor is joining forces with Attorney General Letitia James to block President Trump from enforcing immigration rules designed to protect taxpayers. The lawsuit targets Trump’s expansion of the “public charge” rule, a century-old policy that allows the federal government to deny visas and green cards to people who are likely to end up on welfare.

The Trump administration is simply updating which public benefits count under this rule, with changes set to take effect September 18. But that’s not sitting well with New York’s Democrat leadership, who’ve made sanctuary city policies their calling card.

At a press conference Monday, the NYC mayor tried to frame the policy as some kind of radical overreach:

“If you are a citizen, or an individual seeking humanitarian relief like asylum, these changes will not affect you. The new public charge rule not only sweeps aside more than a century of established law, it is intentionally vague as a means of creating uncertainty and fear to isolate immigrant New Yorkers.”

“Make no mistake, this is an undisguised effort to strip New Yorkers of the services they rely on, the public benefits they are entitled to.”

The mayor claimed up to 4 million people could drop their healthcare coverage out of fear their immigration applications might be denied. But here’s what they’re not telling you: if you’re here legally and following the rules, you have nothing to worry about. This policy targets people who want to come to America and immediately become dependent on benefits funded by hardworking taxpayers.

Several major Democrat-run cities are piling onto the lawsuit, including Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and counties in California and Washington state. Apparently, these sanctuary jurisdictions have unlimited resources to sue the federal government but not enough money to fix their own homelessness and crime problems.

James is leading a separate legal challenge, bringing together 21 states and the District of Columbia to ask a federal court in New York to block Trump’s rule:

“Hardworking families should not be forced to go without the support they need because they fear asking for assistance will get them deported.”

“This rule preys on that fear and counts on families forfeiting the food assistance, health care coverage, and other public benefits to which they are legally entitled. My office fought this exact policy once before and won, and we are leading the nation to ensure the Trump administration cannot inflict this harm on families again.”

Notice the sleight of hand here. James keeps saying people are “legally entitled” to these benefits. But the whole point of the public charge rule is determining whether someone should get legal status in the first place. If you’re coming to America to work hard and contribute, you’re welcome. If you’re coming to collect benefits, maybe you shouldn’t be granted entry.

The Trump administration hasn’t officially responded yet to this latest legal assault from Democrat attorneys general. But one thing’s clear: blue state leaders are more committed to defending benefits for non-citizens than they are to protecting the interests of American taxpayers who foot the bill.

This is the same Letitia James who’s made a career out of targeting Trump with lawsuits. She’s bragged about beating this policy before, and now she’s back for round two. The question is whether federal judges will side with states that want unlimited immigration welfare, or with an administration trying to enforce immigration laws that have been on the books for generations.

Wyatt Matters

For families in Middle America watching their tax dollars disappear into blue state sanctuary cities, this lawsuit is infuriating. We’re told there’s no money to fix our roads, no money for our veterans, no money for rural hospitals. But somehow there’s unlimited money to provide benefits to people who aren’t even citizens yet. Trump’s policy is simple common sense: if you want to come to America, you should be able to support yourself without becoming a burden on taxpayers. Democrats used to agree with that. Now they’re suing to stop it.