00:00New York City is leading a coalition of cities and counties, including Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Clara County, and
00:07King County,
00:08to sue the federal government for the gross illegality of their new public charge rule and the irreparable damage that
00:14it will cause.
00:15We are filing our lawsuit alongside a separate challenge led by Attorney General James.
00:20Just last month, the federal government finalized a set of drastic and unlawful changes to our country's public charge rule,
00:27a rule that makes it possible for someone to be denied immigration status based on the likelihood of their need
00:34for public benefits.
00:35Set to go into effect this coming Friday, September 18th, the new public charge rule expands the list of public
00:42benefits that might count against green card or visa applicants.
00:46The last time the federal government tried this in 2019, New York City joined my office's lawsuit that successfully blocked
00:54the law.
00:56And we will do it again.
00:58This time, my office asked that local leaders organize a municipal coalition of cities in a parallel suit,
01:05because the harms threatened by this rule change require an all-of-government response.
01:12The administration's new rule is much broader than any public charge rule in history,
01:17and it will provide so much discretion to immigration officers that the rules are so opaque and difficult to comprehend
01:25and understand.
01:26The harm is that much greater.
01:28Make no mistake.
01:29This is an undisguised effort to strip New Yorkers of the services they rely on,
01:34the public benefits they are entitled to.
01:36Families, including those with children who are U.S. citizens,
01:41have already begun to forego essential services like SNAP, Medicaid, and affordable housing,
01:47out of the fear that if they use these programs,
01:49immigration officers could use it as justification to deny them a future in our country.
01:54This administration has exceeded its authority under federal immigration law.
01:59This is not what Congress intended.
02:01This is an interpretation by an agency which does not have the authority.
02:07It violates the Administrative Procedure Act.
02:10And again, it's a term that the mayor loves to use.
02:14It is capricious.
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