The Justice Department, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has filed a lawsuit against the state of New York over its "Green Light Law," which limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The lawsuit, announced Wednesday, marks a significant escalation in the federal government’s efforts to dismantle state and local sanctuary policies.
“This is a new DOJ,” Bondi declared. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops today.”
The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of New York, challenges the 2019 Green Light Law, which allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses while prohibiting state agencies, including the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), from sharing personal information with federal immigration authorities unless ordered by a judge. It also mandates that license holders be notified if federal agencies request their information.
According to the Justice Department’s complaint, “The United States is currently facing a crisis of illegal immigration. While states are welcome partners in that effort, a state’s freedom to stand aside is not a freedom to stand in the way. And where inaction crosses into obstruction, a state breaks the law. The State of New York is doing just that. It must be stopped.”
Federal officials argue that restricting access to DMV data hampers their ability to identify and remove undocumented individuals and puts law enforcement officers at unnecessary risk. “From vehicle stops to border crossings to executing arrests and searches, immigration authorities depend on these records,” the filing states.
New York officials swiftly responded to the lawsuit. Governor Kathy Hochul’s press secretary, Avi Small, reiterated that she supports deporting violent criminals but believes law-abiding immigrant families should not be targeted.
State Attorney General Letitia James vowed to fight back, stating, “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.”
Despite the legal challenge, Hochul is expected to meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., next week during the National Governors Association meeting, where immigration enforcement is likely to be a key discussion point.
This lawsuit follows Bondi’s broader effort to dismantle sanctuary policies nationwide. On her first day in office, she froze all Justice Department funding for 60 days to sanctuary jurisdictions from New York to California.
In 2023, law enforcement grants to New York City alone totaled more than $1.56 billion. Federal funding for city agencies was expected to exceed $8 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, but Bondi has since directed her department to halt new grants and contracts benefiting non-governmental organizations that support undocumented immigrants.
This move aligns with efforts by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and border czar Tom Homan, who has ramped up removal proceedings, deporting 11,000 migrants who were charged or convicted of crimes. Some have been sent to the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, while others have been deported to countries such as Venezuela and Colombia.
The crackdown on sanctuary cities is part of a broader immigration enforcement push by the Trump administration. One of Trump’s first legislative actions upon returning to office was signing the Laken Riley Act, named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by an undocumented immigrant with a prior criminal record. The law mandates the deportation of migrants charged with theft, assault, or violent crimes.
Additionally, Trump’s executive orders have authorized Bondi to review state and local immigration policies, revoke federal funding, and impose civil or criminal penalties on jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities. Noem has also been tasked with clawing back federal funds found to be misused for migrant services.
The administration’s crackdown extends beyond state policies. This week, Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), revealed that FEMA had allocated $59 million to house migrants in luxury hotels in New York City. Following the revelation, four FEMA employees were fired, and Noem announced that the full payment had been rescinded.
“FEMA was funding the Roosevelt Hotel that serves as a Tren de Aragua base of operations and was used to house Laken Riley’s killer,” Noem stated on social media.
With the Justice Department’s lawsuit now in motion, New York’s Green Light Law is facing its biggest challenge yet. If the federal government succeeds in overturning the policy, it could set a precedent for similar legal battles against sanctuary laws across the country. Meanwhile, Bondi and other top officials show no signs of slowing down in their nationwide push to enforce federal immigration laws at the state level.
As the legal fight unfolds, the future of New York’s sanctuary policies—and those of other blue states—hangs in the balance.
