Thirteen states filed a lawsuit Aug. 14 against the Department of Homeland Security to block a new Trump administration rule that will deny permanent residency to legal immigrants who have used certain public benefits, like Medicaid, The Hill reports.
When the public charge rule goes into effect in October, immigrants can be denied green cards if they have used public benefits for 12 months or more in a 36-month period. Benefits that count toward this rule include Medicaid and food stamps. Opponents in the medical community say the rule could discourage the use of Medicaid and lead people to delay care.
The latest lawsuit is led by attorneys general from Washington and Virginia, according to The Hill. Other states that joined the suit are Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico and Rhode Island.
It is the second lawsuit filed to challenge the rule, following one filed by San Francisco and Santa Clara counties.
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