The Trump administration sued New York on Wednesday (12) over its immigration policies, accusing state officials of prioritizing “illegal aliens over American citizens.”
The Attorney General Pam Bondi, in her first press conference, specifically cited New York’s “green light” law, which allows people in the state to obtain a driver’s license regardless of their immigration status.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Albany, stated that New York’s state law was the most egregious, as it requires state officials to “promptly notify any illegal alien when a federal immigration agency requests their information.”
The spokesperson for Governor Kathy Hochul said that the governor “supports the deportation of violent criminals who violate our laws, believes that law-abiding families should not be targets, and will coordinate with federal authorities that have a judicial warrant.”
The lawsuit against New York is yet another attempt by the federal government to force more cooperation from pro-immigrant state governments in enacting Trump’s immigration agenda.
New York is not the first target of the Trump administration. The administration filed a similar lawsuit against Democratic officials in Illinois.
On the other hand, cities in California, Oregon, and Connecticut are suing the government for its efforts to deny funding to localities that do not provide full assistance in apprehending and deporting undocumented immigrants.
A similar effort during Trump’s first term to cut funding from so-called sanctuary cities failed in the courts. But this time, the government is betting it will be successful.
The announcement served as a warning not only to New York and Illinois but to other states with similar policies, which will also be sued, according to the government spokesperson.
“If you are a state that is not complying with federal law, you are next, get ready,” Bondi said. “This is a new D.O.J., and we are taking steps to protect American citizens.”
Government Takes Funds from NY
City leaders in New York said on Wednesday (12) that they noticed $80 million had suddenly disappeared from the city’s bank accounts. Shortly after, the Department of Homeland Security, which houses FEMA, confirmed that the money had been reclaimed on Tuesday, in an attempt by President Trump to freeze or reverse funding that had been previously appropriated by the United States Congress. City officials then questioned the legality of the measure.
The federal government justified the recovery of the money by saying that the city was using FEMA funding to finance the use of the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan as a shelter for immigrants, claiming that the hotel served as a “base of operations” for Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that Trump recently designated as a terrorist organization.
Some legal experts say that the federal government is obligated to honor binding contracts and suggest that the recovery of the $80 million could be illegal if the city’s reimbursement agreement with FEMA does not authorize a recovery.
Source: The New York Times