Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in her first news conference Wednesday that the Justice Department is suing New York and several local officials in the state over its immigration policies.
Bondi specifically referred to New York’s Green Light law, which allows the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a driver’s license for anyone in the state regardless of citizenship or legal status. She claimed the policy prioritizes “illegal aliens over American citizens.”
“It stops,” Bondi said at the press conference. “It stops today.”
At one point, she claimed that the Justice Department had “filed charges”—though the lawsuit appeared to be a civil case. No copies of the lawsuit were given to reporters during the news conference and it was not immediately available in online federal court records.
According to Bondi, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Mark Schroeder were all listed as defendants.
“If you are a state not complying with federal law, you’re next, get ready,” Bondi continued. “This is a new DOJ, and we are taking new steps to protect Americans.”
In a statement to The Post, James said, “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,” she continued.
Bondi was confirmed as the Trump administration’s attorney general last week. She secured her position in a 54-46 vote.
During her Senate confirmation hearing last month, Bondi claimed that “politics will not play a part” in her incoming work at the Justice Department—unlike the Biden administration where it was “weaponized for years.”
