The lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James and Gov. Kathy Hochul describes
the law as “a frontal assault on the federal immigration laws, and the federal authorities that administer them." It highlights a provision that requires the state's Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner to inform people who are in the country illegally when a federal immigration agency has requested their information. The Justice Department is asking the court to strike down the law.
“This is a new DOJ, and we are taking steps to protect Americans,” said Bondi, with agents from the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration lined up behind her. “Millions of illegal aliens with violent records have flooded into our communities, bringing violence and deadly drugs with them.”
Bondi appeared alongside Tammy Nobles, whose 20-year-old daughter Kayla 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. 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.
“Tammy represents not only herself and her family but all of the great angel moms around this country who have suffered because of what the Biden administration did,” Bondi said. “And it’s over.”
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.
James said in a statement that she's prepared to defend the state's laws, which she said “protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep our communities safe.”
Hochul said New York welcomes “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.”
