President Donald Trump's newly installed U.S. attorney general used her first official press conference to announce that she will sue New York, as well as the governor and top state figures, over policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday the Department of Justice had filed charges against the state of New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul, state Attorney General Letitia James and Marc Schroeder, the commissioner of the state's Department of Motor Vehicles.
"This is a new DOJ, and we are taking steps to protect Americans...New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops today," Bondi said. "As you know, we sued Illinois, and New York didn't listen. So now, you're next."
The lawsuit stems from a state law that allows people who may be in the U.S. illegally to get driver's licenses. The so-called Green Light Law was enacted partly to improve public safety on the roads, as people without licenses sometimes drove without one, or without having passed a road test. The state also makes it easier for holders of such licenses to get auto insurance, thus cutting down on crashes involving uninsured drivers.
Bondi slammed a provision of the law she said requires New York's Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner to inform people who are in the country illegally when a federal immigration agency has requested their information.
"President Trump has directed this to stop. And if you don't comply with federal law, we will hold you accountable. We did it to Illinois, strike one. Strike two is New York," Bondi said, standing in front of federal agents who have been tasked with helping in Trump's immigration crackdown. "And if you are a state not complying with federal law, you're next, get ready."
Bondi appeared alongside Tammy Nobles, whose 20-year-old daughter was killed in Aberdeen, Maryland, in July 2022 by someone from El Salvador who entered the country illegally months earlier in Texas. The assailant, then 16, was released to a first cousin to pursue asylum, which is common practice under U.S. law and policy. He had been accused by authorities in El Salvador of affiliation with the violent MS-13 gang, according to a report by Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee.
To trumpet his immigration policies, Trump has often highlighted “angel moms” like Nobles, who lost their loved ones to violent crimes by people in the country illegally.
Read the DOJ's lawsuit against New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and DMV Commissioner Marc Schroeder below
In response to the lawsuit, James said in a brief statement that "Our state laws, including the Green Light law, protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep our communities safe. I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I always have."
The governor's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A source familiar with Hochul's plans told NBC New York that the governor and President Trump were scheduled to have lunch together at the White House Thursday. Hochul was was preparing to leave for D.C. Wednesday afternoon, but then postponed the meeting for a week, when she will be in the Capital Region for the the National Governors Association conference, the source said.
The timing of the governor's decision to cancel — after Bondi made the surprise announcement shortly after 5 p.m. — suggests it could be a response to the DOJ's lawsuit.
The lawsuit comes days after the Justice Department sued the city of Chicago, alleging that its “ sanctuary” laws were thwarting federal efforts to enforce immigration laws.
Alanna Durkin Richer, Anthony Izaguirre, Elliot Spagat and Zeke Miller of The Associated Press contributed to this report.
