The Trump administration filed a strong lawsuit against New York and its governor

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against the state of New York, its governor Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James, alleging that they are violating federal law by protecting undocumented immigrants.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the lawsuit on Wednesday, accusing the state of prioritizing illegal immigrants over American citizens.

Bondi also included Mark Schroeder, commissioner of the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), in the lawsuit, citing New York's "green light" laws, which allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver's license.

These laws, also known as the Driver's License Access and Privacy Act, prohibit federal agencies from accessing driver's license information from New York.

Bondi expressed her great concern that police officers can't access drivers' background history during a stop.

This could put officers' safety at risk by not knowing who they are dealing with. According to Bondi, this situation endangers law enforcement officers' lives and violates federal laws.

The lawsuit comes after a similar action against the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago, where the United States Department of Justice also requested the overturning of sanctuary policies.

Governor Hochul replied to the lawsuit by calling it "worthless" and motivated by "publicity." In an extensive statement, Hochul defended New York's laws, erroneously stating that state policies allow federal authorities to access DMV databases with a court order.

Additionally, she defended her state's inclusive approach toward immigrants, recalling that her family also emigrated in search of the American dream and that New York welcomes immigrants who comply with the law.

New York Attorney General Letitia James also replied, highlighting that state laws, including the Green Light Law, protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep communities "safe." She assured she is ready to defend these laws, as she had done on previous occasions.

During the press conference, Bondi was joined by Tammy Nobles, a mother whose 20-year-old daughter, Kayla Hamilton, was murdered and raped by an undocumented immigrant member of the MS-13 gang in 2022.

Nobles shared her painful story, blaming the lack of background checks on the suspect by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during the Biden administration.

The murderer, Walter Martínez, an MS-13 member from El Salvador, had entered the country as an unjoined minor in 2022, was detained by Border Patrol, and then sent to live with a sponsor in Maryland. Four months later, he was charged with murdering Hamilton.

Bondi used this tragedy as an example to urge other states with sanctuary policies to comply with federal law. She assured that they did not want to sue states or prosecute people, but simply wanted them to comply with federal laws.

She emphasized that a single case like Nobles's was too many, and that the "angel moms" who have lost their children due to violence by undocumented immigrants are a reality too frequent in the country.

Bondi called for action, warning that, if states don't comply with the law, the federal administration will take action, as it already did with Illinois and now with New York.

The Trump administration's lawsuit against New York focuses on state laws that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses and that limit federal agencies' access to these drivers' records.