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By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
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On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Department of Justice has filed a civil lawsuit against New York Governor Kathy Hochul and state Attorney General Letitia James, both Democrats, for allegedly failing to enforce federal immigration laws.
Bondi said the lawsuit was also filed against Mark Schroeder, New York's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) commissioner and the state of New York. The civil suit was reportedly filed in Albany County federal court.
"This is a new DOJ. We are taking steps to protect American citizens. As you know, we sued Illinois, and New York didn't listen...you're next," Bondi said at her first press conference as attorney general.
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Newsweek reached out to Hochul, James, and the New York DMV for comment on Wednesday evening.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump was elected off the back of a campaign focused on illegal immigration and the promise of mass deportations, which proved popular among voters both before and after Election Day. Trump and the Republican Party have been critical of Democrat-run cities and states with sanctuary laws that prevent local law enforcement from working with federal immigration agents.
What To Know
Last week, the U.S. government filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois, the city of Chicago, and Cook County in federal court, saying that their sanctuary city laws obstruct Trump's immigration enforcement policies.
Bondi's announcement that New York was next focused on state-level leadership, rather than New York City specifically, despite the metropolitan area taking most new arrivals during the so-called border crisis, which began in early 2022.
The new attorney general said she was seeking to force states to "comply with federal law" and assist with immigration enforcement, despite the precedent set out by the U.S. Supreme Court that it is the federal government's responsibility to enforce immigration law.
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Part of Bondi's argument against New York is the state's Department of Motor Vehicles' Green Light Law, which allows immigrants without legal status to obtain a driver's license. It does not include their immigration status on the document and offers protections for immigrants from discrimination.
"If these great men and women pull over someone and don't have access to their background, they have no idea who they are dealing with, and it puts their lives on the line every single day," she told reporters, as federal agents stood behind her.
Bondi was joined by Tammy Nobles, the mother of a woman killed by an MS-13 gang member from El Salvador who was released by the Border Patrol in 2022. He was flown to Maryland and went on to kill Kayla Hamilton, 20, shortly after.
The case was not connected to New York but reflects similar cases highlighted by the Trump administration of illegal immigrants released during the Biden administration who went on to commit violent crimes.
Hochul has been vocal in her promise to protect immigrants in the state who have not committed any criminal offenses while also repeating that the state works with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) where necessary.
In a statement on Wednesday, Hochul addressed Bondi's lawsuit, saying in part, "New York is proud that immigrants from across the globe come here searching for a better life — people like my grandparents who left Ireland looking for the American dream. We welcome law-abiding individuals who want to work, pay taxes and contribute to our communities, while at the same time protecting the public safety of all New Yorkers by cracking down on violent criminals.
"We expect Pam Bondi's worthless, publicity-driven lawsuit to be a total failure, just like all the others. Let me be clear: New York is not backing down," Hochul said.
Elsewhere in New York, a fight is underway over federal funding used to help house new migrant arrivals over the past three years, granted under the previous administration but sent to NYC last week.
What People Are Saying
Tammy Nobles, sharing her daughter's story at the press briefing Wednesday: "I am so thankful for Pam having me here today, and I'm so thankful for the opportunities from Trump. This is going to end. No other parent should suffer by having their child murdered by somebody who shouldn't be here."
Hochul, speaking on Univision 41 on January 31: "What I've reinforced is the fact that we have always worked with ICE when it comes to removing people who have committed serious crimes. Whether they're in their own country, they never should have been able to arrive here, or they do something while they're here. This has happened.
"So we want to make sure that all of our citizens and all the residents and all the people who have come before, whether they have status or not, that they're safe from criminals. So we have said we will work with the Trump administration, just like we did with the Biden administration."
What Happens Next
Bondi said sanctuary states needed to comply with the administration's policies to prevent further deaths of American citizens, appearing to promise that further action was likely against other local and state authorities.
Update 2/12/25, 10:41 p.m. ET: This article was updated with Hochul's statement.
Update 2/12/25, 6:37 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Correction: 2/12/25, 8:02 p.m. ET: This article was updated to correct that the lawsuit is a civil case.
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