New York : The Green Card is the final step towards turning years of temporary work, study and waiting into permanent residency. But a new immigration policy of the US President Donald Trump-led administration that will be implemented from Friday (September 18) could make that path more complicated, particularly for immigrants who rely on certain government benefits.
On September 14 (Monday), New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has emerged as a prominent Democratic voice on immigration, is leading one of two lawsuits challenging the rule, while a separate case has been filed by 22 US states and the District of Columbia against what they called a “catastrophic” policy. In simple terms, it asks whether a person seeking permanent residency is likely to become primarily dependent on the US government for financial support.
A Green Card, officially called a Permanent Resident Card, is the document that gives a foreign national permanent resident status in the US. It is also an important step for many immigrants who eventually seek US citizenship. The new policy that has been planned by the Trump government does not mean that every immigrant who receives a government benefit will automatically lose or be denied a Green Card.
The Trump administration’s new policy revives and expands an approach it introduced during Trump’s first term. Under the Joe Biden administration’s narrower rules, immigration officials could consider an applicant’s receipt of certain cash benefits, including Supplemental Security Income, but generally did not count non-cash benefits such as food stamps or Medicaid.
One lawsuit has been filed by 22 states and Washington DC. A second has been brought by New York City and other local governments, including Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle. Mamdani is leading the second legal challenge. At a press conference on Monday, Mamdani said the policy was already prompting some families to avoid benefits, including food assistance, healthcare and affordable housing, even when US-citizen children in those families were legally eligible for such programmes.
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