Washington (CNN) The Supreme Court on Friday denied a request from New York and other states to block the Trump administration's controversial "public charge" rule during the coronavirus pandemic.

The rule makes it more difficult for immigrants to obtain legal status if they use public benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers.

Earlier in the term, a 5-4 court said the rule could go into effect nationwide while legal challenges played out, but the states had asked the justices to reconsider that decision given the implications of the virus.

The court denied the request with no noted dissents but indicated the states could ask district court for further relief. New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday confirmed that she would be asking the US District Court for the Southern District of New York to halt implementation of the rule.

New York, Connecticut, Vermont and New York City had asked the justices to block the rule nationwide, arguing that while they are trying to stop the spread of coronavirus, the government's rule is deterring some immigrants from accessing health care and public benefits that are "essential tools for protecting the public at large" by limiting the "spread and severity" of the virus.

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