On September 14, 2026, New York City joined the City of Chicago, the City and County of San Francisco, and three others in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s new public charge rule.
The U.S. public charge rule allows the Department of State to deny visa applicants deemed “too reliant” on public benefits. DOS says the rule is part of government efforts to prioritise immigrant self-sufficiency.
While “public charge” has long been part of U.S. immigration law, who falls under this category is up to the presidential administration. In his first term, President Donald Trump expanded the discretionary capacity of individual immigration officers, suggesting anyone who used public benefits or qualified for them based on income could be deemed a public charge. The Biden Administration then ruled to standardise the principle as someone who relied on government aid as their major source of income.
On July 17, the Trump administration undid it.
Too Expensive to Live Here
For the recently arrived, becoming self-sufficient takes time— and money.
Jennifer Chacón, a case manager providing job placement services at Catholic Charities, knows it firsthand.
“I had to find out on my own; what do I do? Is my title valid here? Looks like it doesn’t; Is there a way to validate it? Oh, you can’t”.
Now she helps newcomers navigate these questions.
“Not everyone knows that they can do it […] and secondly, not everyone can access these services”. Professional accreditation is one example: “We’re talking about a process that could cost you five to six hundred; only to validate a bachelor’s”, Chacón says.
But, as Chacón says, many cannot afford to support their livelihoods, much less validate their degree. “They can’t just survive on their salary […] a household earning a minimum wage in New York City, which is seventeen dollars an hour, to pay rent food, and everything else is simply not possible.”
Chacón estimates that “ninety-eight, to not say a hundred, per cent of our clients receive public benefits”. Yet, many have been increasingly deterred from getting them. Indeed, researchers estimate loss of coverage will have a disproportionately higher impact among eligible noncitizens.
“Many are scared,” she says. “Our legal team mentioned that while the law says they are not subject to public charges, anything can happen, and it can change tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.”
Too Expensive to Support You Here
The agencies providing Refugee Resettlement Services are bearing the weight of budget cuts.
As recently as September 25, the Trump Administration proposed a ‘Pocket Rescision’ of $810 million targeting funds that directly support refugee and immigrant services. The breakdown: $567 million for the Refugee and Entrant Assistance account, which funds Office of Refugee Resettlement programs under HHS; and $10 million from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Citizenship and Integration grant program that provides ESL services.
For resettlement organisations, the cuts are mounting on years of financial stress. As Chacón puts it, “The little funds we still have are provided by the state. We were a team of between 100 and 80 people; today we are 15.”
Too Expensive to Care?
For newcomers, refugee resettlement organisations are a vital source of support.
Father Fabián Arias, a volunteer at New Sanctuary Coalition and Saint Peter’s Church, where budget cuts have reduced legal-clinic services, continues to build community.
Increasingly, he fears, the “Trump administration has targeted sanctuaries”. Arias not only worries about providing basic services, but also about a sense of security.
To him, these rulings are preventing “the community from feeling that it is a safe space, that ICE will not enter there”.
Though his eyes water, he still jokes about the importance of accepting help: “I’m sorry for whoever thinks of themselves as Superman, who thinks they don’t need to be taken care of”.
