A federal court has vacated a 2025 policy that would have subjected a range of federally funded health, education and social-service programs to immigration-status checks, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James. The ruling follows a lawsuit led by New York and 20 other attorneys general.
The court granted the states' motion for summary judgment, James' office said Monday. That is a final merits ruling on the challenged policy, distinct from the preliminary injunction the coalition obtained in September 2025 while the case continued.
The federal government announced its interpretation in July 2025, treating more programs as restricted “federal public benefits” under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Under that policy, providers would have had to verify the immigration status of people seeking services and turn away people unable to establish eligibility, the attorney general's office said.
The affected programs included Head Start, Title X family planning clinics, food banks, domestic violence shelters, adult education and community health centers. The states argued that the change threatened access not only for undocumented immigrants but also for some people with lawful temporary status, including students, temporary workers and exchange visitors.
James' office said the coalition also warned that some U.S. citizens and lawful residents might struggle to produce identification, particularly low-income people and those fleeing dangerous situations. That was an argument raised in the litigation, not a finding that specific people had already been denied services under the policy.
The lawsuit challenged the federal government's reinterpretation of the law. Monday's summary judgment vacated the challenged rules, according to the attorney general's statement; the announcement did not provide a separate timeline for agencies or providers to make operational changes.
James said the state would continue to defend access to services for New Yorkers.
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