US Attorney General Pam Bondi files lawsuit against New York's immigration law
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi takes the stage to speak at a campaign rally with Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump in Gastonia, North Carolina, on November 2, 2024. Photo REUTERS
US Attorney General Pam Bondi has filed a lawsuit against New York's Green Light Law, accusing the state of undermining federal immigration laws.
The lawsuit, announced during a press conference in Washington on Wednesday, targets a state law that grants driver’s licenses to individuals who may not be legally in the United States.
Bondi, appointed by President Donald Trump last week, condemned the law, stating that it prioritises “illegal aliens over American citizens.” The Green Light Law, enacted to improve public safety by allowing individuals without legal status to obtain licenses and auto insurance, has now become a focal point in the Trump administration’s hardline immigration stance.
“This is a frontal assault on federal immigration laws,” Bondi stated, standing alongside federal agents from the FBI, ATF, and DEA. The lawsuit alleges that the law obstructs federal efforts by requiring state authorities to notify federal immigration agencies when they have information about individuals in the country illegally.
In a statement, Bondi emphasised that this new approach by the Justice Department aims to safeguard Americans.
“Millions of illegal aliens with violent records have flooded into our communities, bringing violence and deadly drugs with them,” she added, referencing concerns about crime linked to undocumented immigrants.
However, New York officials have strongly defended the law. New York Attorney General Letitia James declared that she is ready to fight the lawsuit, stating the law “protects the rights of all New Yorkers.”
Governor Kathy Hochul echoed this sentiment, rejecting the federal challenge as politically driven. “We expect Pam Bondi’s worthless, publicity-driven lawsuit to be a total failure,” she said.
Bondi's remarks followed a politically charged narrative that has become central to the Trump administration’s immigration policy, often drawing attention to stories of victims of violent crimes committed by individuals in the country illegally.
The case comes just days after the Department of Justice filed a similar lawsuit against Chicago’s sanctuary city policies, intensifying the administration’s legal efforts to limit state protections for undocumented immigrants.
This lawsuit marks the latest chapter in the ongoing legal battle between the federal government and states like New York that have enacted policies to provide certain benefits to immigrants regardless of their legal status.