Mr. Yale-Loehr said he is concerned about the amount of leeway the rule grants the government in deciding whether or not someone is likely to use public benefits. “In this administration, that is likely to mean more denials based on public charge concerns,” he said.

Mr. Yale-Loehr said, “Even if the administration loses in court, they may achieve their aim of discouraging immigrants from taking public benefits. The fear factor alone may make this a ‘win’ for the administration in its war on immigrants.”