New York City Leads Coalition of Cities in Suing Federal Government Over Public Charge Rule

New York City is spearheading a multi-jurisdiction lawsuit against the federal government over its newly introduced public charge rule, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced at a news conference on Monday.

The coalition bringing the suit includes Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Clara County and King County, according to the mayor. The legal action argues that the rule is unlawful and will cause irreparable damage.

Speaking at the announcement, Mamdani said the measure would not reduce waste, improve public safety or better the lives of New Yorkers. He described it as a mechanism for confusion and cruelty, adding that the city rejects cruelty as a mode of governance.

"Immigrants are New Yorkers," Mamdani said, reiterating that any effort targeting them would have to contend with the city as a whole. He said New York City was confronting the policy with solidarity and action.

The city's lawsuit is being filed alongside a separate legal challenge led by Attorney General James, Mamdani said.

The mayor also framed the dispute in economic terms, noting that New York City is the most expensive in the United States. He expressed concern about the combined impact of existing law once implemented and the rule change, saying they would make hungry New Yorkers hungrier and poor New Yorkers poorer. He called the move a slap in the face to efforts aimed at helping working-class residents afford life in the city.

Mamdani reaffirmed his administration's commitment to standing with immigrant New Yorkers, saying the city would not waver in its obligations to those it serves and would demonstrate the power of a united city.

In response to questions on a separate matter, the mayor also addressed recent developments in artificial intelligence, calling reports about the technology alarming. He referred to suggestions that such developments could lead to the end of humanity, as well as an incident involving Hugging Face and assertions from a head of Anthropic that similar incidents are occurring at every AI company. He said the federal government should respond with greater urgency.

On city action, Mamdani said his administration would continue to explore all avenues to protect New Yorkers. He noted that the city had recently decided to ban the use of generative AI in grades K through 8, and that the discussion within city government is ongoing.