Trump Sues New York Over Immigration Policies

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday, February 12, that the Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the state of New York and its top officials, alleging that they are placing “illegal aliens over American citizens.”

“As you know, we sued Illinois and New York didn’t listen. So now you’re next,” Bondi said.

During her first news conference since assuming office, Bondi alleged that “millions” of individuals with violent records had entered communities, bringing crime and drugs. She blamed states like New York for exacerbating the problem through lenient immigration policies.

The lawsuit targets the state of New York, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and Mark Schroeder, the state’s motor vehicles commissioner. Hochul’s office has yet to respond to requests for comment.

James defended the state’s laws, saying, “I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I always have.”

Bondi argued that New York’s policies limit law enforcement agencies from working with immigration authorities, allowing criminals to operate with impunity.

She introduced an “Angel Mom,” Tammy Nobles, whose 20-year-old daughter, Kayla Hamilton, was killed in 2022 by a member of the MS-13 gang in New York.

“Yet he was released, flown to Maryland, where he committed this violent murder,” Bondi said.

Bondi did not cite specific legal violations by New York but claimed its policies prevent law enforcement from conducting background checks on potentially violent offenders in the country illegally.

Last week, the Justice Department filed a similar lawsuit against Illinois and Chicago, arguing that their sanctuary policies obstruct federal immigration enforcement.

Her news conference came amid a series of federal court rulings temporarily blocking President Donald Trump’s policies, including efforts to freeze spending, shrink the federal workforce, end birthright citizenship, and transfer transgender women to men’s prisons.

However, a judge in Boston approved Trump’s federal employee buyout plan.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the rulings, saying, “77 million Americans voted to elect this president. Each injunction is an abuse of the rule of law and an attempt to thwart the will of the people.”

Trump has said he will abide by the rulings but intends to explore legal options to challenge them. Meanwhile, Bondi rejected the idea of judicial impeachments, a suggestion made by Trump aide Elon Musk.

“We’re going to follow the law right now. We’re going to follow the process,” Bondi said. “These are federal judges with lifetime appointments. But they will be struck down ultimately by the Supreme Court of the United States if the appellate courts don’t follow the law as well.”

Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and longtime state prosecutor, previously represented Trump during his first impeachment.

Trump has placed several of his former defense attorneys in key Justice Department roles, including Todd Blanche and Emil Bove as deputy and principal associate deputy attorneys general, respectively, and John Sauer as solicitor general.

During her confirmation hearing, Bondi pledged that her work at the Justice Department would remain independent of political influence.

“Politics will not play a part,” Bondi said. “I’ve demonstrated that my entire career as a prosecutor, as attorney general, and I will continue to do that.” Since then, Trump has pardoned nearly all individuals charged in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, and the Justice Department has dismissed prosecutors who participated in the investigation.