Illinois and Chicago sue Trump over looming rule making it harder for immigrants to get green cards, tell me about this news in (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/14/green-card-restrictions/)

The news refers to legal actions taken by the State of Illinois, Cook County, and the City of Chicagoalongside advocacy organizations like the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rightschallenging the Trump administration’s expanded “public charge” immigration regulation.Key Aspects of the News

• The Rule in Question: The regulation significantly broadens the federal government’s definition of a “public charge.” Under the policy, U.S. immigration officials are directed to weigh an applicant’s useor potential future needof non-cash public benefits (such as Medicaid, SNAP/food assistance, and housing subsidies) as negative factors when evaluating applications for legal permanent residency (green cards) or visa extensions.
• Impact on Immigrant Families: State and city officials argued that the rule creates a widespread “chilling effect,” prompting hundreds of thousands of low-income immigrants and mixed-status familiesincluding U.S.-citizen childrento disenroll from or avoid essential healthcare, nutrition, and housing aid out of fear that accessing standard support services will jeopardize their legal status.
• Burden on Local Governments and Healthcare: The lawsuit claims the federal mandate shifts significant financial and public health costs onto local jurisdictions. When individuals forgo routine care and preventative assistance due to fear, local safety-net hospitals and municipal health departments bear the cost of increased emergency medical care and uncompensated treatments.
• Legal Arguments: The plaintiffs argued that the policy violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), exceeds congressional intent under longstanding immigration statutes, and creates an arbitrary and discriminatory wealth test for lawful residency.