The Department of Justice (DOJ) has taken legal action against the State of New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and DMV Commissioner Mark Schroder over illegal immigration.
“New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said during a press conference. “It stops. It stops today.”
The federal lawsuit filed Wednesday seeks to challenge the 2019 Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, also known as the “Green Light Law,” which has allowed thousands of illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses while blocking federal immigration and border enforcement agencies from accessing the state’s motor vehicle database.
The law allows all New Yorkers age 16 and older to apply for a standard, non-commercial driver’s license or learner permit “regardless of their citizenship or lawful status in the United States,” according to the DMV.
If these illegal immigrants get pulled over, law enforcement has “no idea who they’re dealing with” because officers don’t have access to their background, Bondi pointed out.
Bondi said that the DOJ recently sued Illinois for impeding federal immigration efforts.
“We did it to Illinois. Strike one. Strike two is New York, and if you’re a state not complying with federal law? You’re next,” Bondi said.
During the press conference, the attorney general highlighted the dangers of illegal immigration and introduced Tammy Nobles, mother of 20-year-old Kayla Hamilton who was raped and murdered by an MS-13 gang member in 2022. Her assailant had a criminal record in 2020 in El Salvador, according to Nobles.
“No other parent should suffer by having their child murdered by somebody who shouldn’t be here,” Nobles said.
The DOJ’s legal actions come after Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 22 that “suspends the physical entry” of illegal immigrants. Since then, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has conducted sweeping operations in several states to arrest and deport thousands of illegal immigrants back to their home countries.
Following Bondi’s announcement, local media has reported that Gov. Hochul is planning to meet with Trump in Washington on Thursday to discuss various topics including New York City’s sanctuary city law.
NTD reached out to Hochul’s office for comments but did not immediately receive a response.
