The Justice Department has initiated legal action against the state of New York, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James concerning immigration enforcement, as announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday.
“We are taking measures to safeguard American citizens,” Bondi remarked, asserting that “New York has opted to prioritize illegal immigrants over its own citizens.”
“We previously filed a lawsuit against Illinois, and since New York did not heed our warnings, it is now their turn,” Bondi added.
In response to the lawsuit, James stated, “Our state laws, including the Green Light law, are designed to protect the rights of all New Yorkers and ensure the safety of our communities. I remain prepared to defend our laws, as I always have.”
Bondi contended that New York state officials are legally obligated to inform undocumented immigrants when federal authorities seek information regarding their immigration status. This allegation is among several outlined in the federal complaint. During the press conference, Bondi also asserted that New York’s legislation unlawfully obstructs both federal and state law enforcement from executing immigration laws.
Later on Wednesday evening, Hochul addressed the lawsuit in a separate statement, characterizing Bondi’s press conference as “smoke and mirrors,” and described the Justice Department’s lawsuit as “a routine civil action regarding a law enacted in 2019 that has consistently been upheld by the courts.”
“I will not permit federal agents, or any dubious operations like Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative, to gain unrestricted access to the personal information of any New Yorker in the DMV system, including vulnerable individuals such as 16-year-olds learning to drive,” Hochul stated in a press release.
“Like previous attempts, we expect Pam Bondi’s frivolous, publicity-seeking lawsuit to be entirely unsuccessful. To be clear, New York will not yield,” Hochul emphasized.
It is noteworthy that Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, is not a party to the lawsuit. The Justice Department indicated on Tuesday that the legal action “has unduly limited Mayor Adams’ capacity to…”
Bondi later indicated that while the case against Adams had not been dismissed, she expected that federal prosecutors would soon withdraw the charges. “We are optimistic that Mayor Adams will collaborate with us regarding sanctuary cities and undocumented immigrants in New York,” Bondi remarked.
At the news conference, Tammy Nobles, whose daughter was murdered by a member of the El Salvadorian MS-13 gang, spoke about the tragic loss.
In her initial hours as attorney general, she issued a comprehensive set of directives aimed at sanctuary jurisdictions, mandating that they cease funding to entities that “illegally interfere with federal law enforcement operations.” She called for the department to take action against states or sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
“State and local jurisdictions are required to adhere to relevant federal immigration laws,” a memo asserted. It further emphasized that “state and local entities must not hinder, obstruct, or otherwise fail to comply with lawful immigration-related directives.”
In another memo, Bondi concentrated on cartels and transnational criminal organizations, declaring that the department would strive for their “total elimination” and that “additional resources and strategic charging decisions” would be necessary to tackle illegal drug trafficking.
Last week, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois, the city of Chicago, and other local governments, alleging that their laws hindered the Trump administration’s ability to enforce immigration laws more stringently in the area.
During the early weeks of the Trump administration, Emil Bove, Bondi’s acting deputy, instructed Justice Department prosecutors across the nation to focus their prosecutions on implementing Mr. Trump’s immigration policies and suggested that charges could be brought against state or local officials who obstructed these efforts.
Bondi also responded to inquiries regarding Elon Musk’s criticisms of judges who have…
