On February 12, 2025, the Justice Department, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, filed a lawsuit against New York, accusing the state and its top officials of prioritizing “illegal aliens over American citizens.”
The lawsuit, which specifically targets New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and Mark Schroeder, the state’s motor vehicle commissioner, alleges that the state’s permissive immigration policies are enabling criminal activity and endangering citizens.
Bondi, in her first press conference since taking office, claimed that millions of individuals with violent records have entered communities, contributing to violence and the drug crisis.
She pointed to New York’s sanctuary policies as a key factor in these problems, arguing that they prevent law enforcement from fully cooperating with immigration authorities.
Bondi introduced Tammy Nobles, a mother who lost her 20-year-old daughter to an MS-13 gang member in 2022, claiming that this criminal had been released under New York’s policies before committing the murder.
While Bondi did not provide specific legal violations by New York, she asserted that the state’s laws impede background checks and allow potentially violent offenders to remain in the U.S. illegally.
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The lawsuit follows a similar action against Illinois, with both states accused of obstructing federal immigration enforcement.
This legal action from the Trump administration comes amidst ongoing challenges to several of the president’s policies, including federal court rulings temporarily blocking his attempts to reduce the federal workforce and limit automatic citizenship.
In response, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized these rulings, stating that they represented an “abuse of the rule of law” and an effort to block the will of the people who elected Trump.
Despite the challenges, Bondi expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would ultimately strike down any lower court decisions that contradict the law.
She emphasized that the Justice Department would follow the legal process and remain focused on upholding federal law.
