Newly sworn-in Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against New York state, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James, accusing them of violating federal law by shielding illegal immigrants.
“This is a new DOJ,” Bondi announced at a news conference. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today.”
Mark Schroeder, the New York Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner, has also been charged. Bondi referenced New York’s Green Light laws, known as the Driver’s License Act, which permits illegal immigrants to obtain a driver’s license.
The law prohibits certain federal agencies from accessing driver’s license information in New York State.
“They have green light laws, meaning they’re giving a green light to any illegal alien in New York, where law enforcement officers cannot check their identity if they pull them over,” Bondi said. “And law enforcement officers do not have access to their background. And if these great men and women pull over someone and don’t have access to their background, they have no idea who they’re dealing with, and it puts their lives on the line every single day.
“If you don’t comply with federal law, we will hold you accountable,” Bondi said. “We did it to Illinois, strike one. Strike two is New York. And if you are a state not complying with federal law, you’re next. Get ready.”
Last week, the Justice Department asked a federal judge to strike down sanctuary laws in Chicago and Illinois.
Hochul responded to the lawsuit late Wednesday night, calling it “worthless” and “driven by publicity” in a lengthy statement criticizing Bondi’s decision to sue New York and several of its officials.
“Here are the facts: our current laws allow federal immigration officials to access any DMV database with a judicial warrant. That’s a common-sense approach that most New Yorkers support. But there’s no way I’m letting federal agents, or Elon Musk’s shadowy DOGE operation, get unfettered access to the personal data of any New Yorker in the DMV system like 16-year-old kids learning to drive and other vulnerable people,” she said.
“New York is proud that immigrants from across the globe come here searching for a better life — people like my grandparents who left Ireland looking for the American dream. We welcome law-abiding individuals who want to work, pay taxes and contribute to our communities, while at the same time protecting the public safety of all New Yorkers by cracking down on violent criminals,” the governor continued.
“We expect Pam Bondi’s worthless, publicity-driven lawsuit to be a total failure, just like all the others. Let me be clear: New York is not backing down,” she concluded.
New York Attorney General Letitia James also responded to the lawsuit late Wednesday night with the following: “Our state laws, including the Green Light law, protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep our communities safe. I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I always have.”
At the news conference, Bondi was accompanied by “angel mom” Tammy Nobles from Maryland. Nobles’ 20-year-old daughter, Kayla Hamilton, was tragically raped and murdered by an illegal immigrant and MS-13 member in 2022.
The Department of Homeland Security “did not do their jobs,” Nobles said Wednesday, at times choking back tears while sharing her family’s story, Fox News reported.
“They did not check his background,” she said. “I’m so thankful for Pam for having me here today, and I’m so thankful for the opportunities I got from Trump and any other platform — and for the people (allowing) me to share her story because this is going to end.”
