AG Bondi Makes a Compelling Case Against Hochul on Immigration Issues

The state of New York is currently contesting a lawsuit from the Trump administration for allegedly placing “illegal aliens” before the safety of its citizens.

New York City should brace itself for a similar lawsuit shortly.

Governor Kathy Hochul claims that the legal challenge is a “worthless, publicity-driven lawsuit” that “will ultimately fail.”

She asserts New York will “not back down.”

Hochul is gravely mistaken regarding the lawsuit’s validity.

The Justice Department has a strong case under the US Constitution.

The lawsuit targets the Green Light Law, conceived by Attorney General Letitia James and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who signed it into law in 2019.

This law permits illegal immigrants to obtain New York drivers’ licenses without fear that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents can access their personal information.

Moreover, the law bars federal enforcement officials from utilizing the DMV database to check an individual’s image, address, or immigration status unless they possess a warrant or court order.

This process can be lengthy.

During a traffic stop, for instance, this process is impractical.

Furthermore, a significant concern is that the Green Light Law mandates DMV staff to “shall” inform license holders within three days when law enforcement accesses their records—effectively warning them of the investigation and allowing them to flee.

While nineteen states permit illegal immigrants to obtain drivers’ licenses, none has a similar notification clause, turning the DMV into an accomplice for criminals.

On February 12, US Attorney General Pam Bondi stood alongside Tammy Nobles, an “Angel Mom,” whose daughter was tragically raped and murdered by an MS-13 gang member in 2022.

Bondi charged New York with intentionally obstructing federal efforts to capture and deport criminals like the individual responsible for Nobles’ daughter’s death, contravening the Constitution’s supremacy clause and a recently enacted federal law.

The Laken Riley Act, which Trump signed last month, requires the detention and deportation of any illegal alien convicted of theft, burglary, or crimes resulting in death or bodily harm upon their prison release.

Currently, nearly 600,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records are in the United States, as border czar Tom Homan highlighted last week.

The new law can only be implemented if ICE is informed about the criminal’s release.

This is where Bondi’s lawsuit plays a role.

She has also initiated legal action against the city of Chicago, Cook County, and the state of Illinois for “actively sabotaging” federal immigration law enforcement, thereby shielding “countless criminals” who ought to have been deported.

A substantial body of Supreme Court rulings indicates that the federal government cannot “commandeer” state and local personnel to execute federal responsibilities.

Hochul and officials in Illinois will likely rely on these precedents for their defense.

However, Bondi can argue that local and state authorities are not merely passive; they are actively working to undermine federal law—violating the supremacy clause, which maintains that state laws cannot obstruct federal laws.

New York City may soon face a corresponding lawsuit if Homan deems that Mayor Eric Adams has not sufficiently collaborated with federal authorities.

And it seems unlikely that Adams can fulfill his promises.

Homan mentioned last week that Adams had pledged not only to ensure an ICE “presence” at Rikers Island but also to undertake other actions that remain confidential—likely due to potential objections from the City Council.

Commend the mayor: He’s facing criticism from his own party for cooperating with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement.

Yet public support is firmly behind him. Nearly 72% of New York City residents surveyed by the Manhattan Institute desire the city to assist federal officials in deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.

ICE reports that over 58,000 illegal immigrants with felony convictions or pending criminal charges are currently among the city’s population.

Nevertheless, New York Democrats are fighting to defend them.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s office conducted a webinar on evading ICE.

City Council members are proposing legislation that would enable residents to sue any city agency collaborating with federal immigration enforcement.

Legislators in Albany are introducing bills to prevent ICE from operating in schools or shelters without a court order.

This is sheer lunacy—an overextended state and city jeopardizing billions in federal funding while waging war against the federal government and simultaneously endangering their citizens.

California Governor Gavin Newsom recognizes the stakes.

He is committed to collaborating with Trump and vowing to veto a state bill that would prevent prison officials from transferring illegal immigrant criminals to ICE.

New York is not an independent nation.

It is a part of the United States and must act accordingly, adhering to the US Constitution.

Bondi is conveying that message in court. Voters must convey that message at the polls.

Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York and co-founder of the Committee to Save Our City.