Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing the state of New York for not following federal immigration laws. This was her first press conference since taking office six days ago.
The lawsuit names New York Governor Kathy Hochul, state Attorney General Letitia James, and Mark Schroeder, the state’s motor vehicles commissioner, as defendants.
“This is a new DOJ. We are taking action to protect American citizens,” Bondi said while standing with federal agents. “We already sued Illinois, and New York didn’t listen … now it’s your turn.”
The lawsuit is directed at the state of New York, not New York City, even though most new immigrants are settling there. New York City Mayor Eric Adams was not included in the lawsuit. Just a day earlier, the DOJ told prosecutors to drop an investigation into Adams for bribery and fraud. The department explained that the investigation was preventing him from fully focusing on illegal immigration and violent crime in his city.
During the press conference, Bondi was joined by Tammy Nobles, a mother whose daughter, Kayla Hamilton, was murdered by a 16-year-old MS-13 gang member from El Salvador. The suspect had entered the U.S. illegally.
Bondi said she hopes Mayor Adams will cooperate in addressing issues related to sanctuary cities and undocumented immigrants. She emphasized that states should follow federal law and help enforce immigration policies. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that immigration enforcement is the federal government’s responsibility.
A memo issued last week encouraged the DOJ to take action against sanctuary cities, counties, and states that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Sanctuary areas limit or refuse to assist the federal government in enforcing immigration laws. These policies protect undocumented immigrants from deportation and allow them to report crimes without fear of being arrested for their immigration status.
There are 13 sanctuary states, including New York and Illinois. Some sanctuary cities are outside those states, such as Atlanta, Louisville, Baltimore, and New Orleans. None of these sanctuary areas are in Texas or Arizona, which border Mexico. However, New Mexico and California, two other border states, have sanctuary laws.
Last week, the DOJ also sued Illinois and Chicago for similar reasons.
One major issue in the lawsuit is New York’s Green Light Law, which allows undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses. The law does not record their immigration status and prevents discrimination against them.
“If law enforcement officers pull someone over and can’t check their background, they have no idea who they’re dealing with. This puts officers’ lives at risk every day,” Bondi said.
There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
Tammy Nobles’ daughter was killed by an MS-13 gang member who had been released by Border Patrol in 2022 and sent to Maryland. Though her case is not related to New York, it highlights concerns over immigration enforcement.
Tom Homan, the U.S. border czar, said his main focus is arresting violent criminals. He has asked Congress for more funding to help with enforcement.
Since President Trump took office on January 20, an average of 826 people have been arrested daily for immigration violations. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is expected to make 25,000 arrests in Trump’s first 30 days. Under President Biden, the monthly arrest numbers never reached 20,000.
In the third quarter of 2024, ICE deported 68,000 people, a 69% increase from 2023.