Nicole Acevedo is reporting for NBC News Connecticut, New York and Vermont have taken legal action against the federal government in its effort to limit a route to citizenship for certain people. State Attorney General Letitia James announced August 20, the action was initiated against the federal agencies responsible for implementing and enforcing a new rule that would expand the definition of "public charge," effective October 15. Under the new rule, published just last week, officials can categorize a person seeking to change their legal immigration status, who are enrolled in publicly funded programs, such as health insurance and food assistance programs, as a “public charge.” Once assigned the label that person would be denied a green card, visa and other forms of legal immigration status. "Quite simply, under this rule, more children will go hungry, more families will go without medical care and more people will be living in the shadows and on the streets...,” James said. James argues the administration arbitrarily extended the public charge rule in a way that violates equal protection rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution, and it also discriminates against those people with disabilities and low-incomes, as well as immigrants of color. More than 60 lawsuits have been filed to block the public charge rule, including by New Mexico, Colorado, Rhode Island, Maine, Maryland and Massachusetts, James said. Read the full story at NBCNews [dot] com.