It is difficult for welfare recipients to obtain green cards. The federal government has relaxed restrictions. Texas’ lawsuit was dismissed.

On October 1, a federal judge dismissed Texas’s lawsuit against the Biden administration regarding the easing of immigration public charge regulations. The lawsuit stemmed from Texas’s claims that the new rules would lead to an increased immigrant population in the state. Judge Drew Tipton, who oversees the Southern District of Texas, determined that Texas did not provide sufficient evidence to support its assertions about a potential influx of immigrants linked to the new policies.

The case, officially titled Texas v. Mayorkas, named Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as the defendant. Under the new guidelines from the Department of Homeland Security, immigrants who access social benefits will only be classified as “public charges” under federal law if they primarily depend on government assistance for their livelihood. This represents a considerable change from the restrictions that were in place during the Trump administration, when immigrants receiving food stamps or Medicaid were automatically considered public charges, disqualifying them from green card eligibility.

Public charge regulations during the Trump administration faced numerous legal challenges and were often blocked by federal courts. Since President Biden took office, the Department of Homeland Security has refrained from appealing such court decisions.

In its 2023 lawsuit, Texas argued that the Biden administration’s 2022 modifications would expand the number of individuals eligible for green cards, potentially resulting in an influx of immigrants to the state. Texas claimed that this would drive up costs in areas such as incarceration, education, healthcare, and the issuance of driver’s licenses.

In his ruling, Judge Tipton acknowledged Texas’s concerns about rising costs but indicated that the state failed to provide concrete evidence linking the new regulations to an increased immigrant population. He emphasized that Texas relied on speculation rather than substantiated claims.

Both the Department of Homeland Security and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, chose not to comment on the court’s decision. Texas has been at the forefront of challenging the Biden administration’s relaxed regulations, joining efforts from other Republican-led states, though it has faced setbacks, including the Texas Supreme Court’s rejection of its appeal against lower court rulings concerning the new regulations.