The ongoing clash between the Empire State and the current administration over New York's driver's license legislation for undocumented immigrants has escalated. According to ABC7NY, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a lawsuit against New York officials regarding the 2019 "Green Light" law, which grants driver's licenses to immigrants regardless of their legal status in the United States.
While New York has grabbed headlines, it shares the stage with at least 19 other states and the District of Columbia, all of which have adopted similar regulations, with varied restrictions and permissions on data sharing with federal entities. The law in New York has raised Bondi's concerns, who called it a "green light to illegal immigration," citing a provision she argues tips off undocumented individuals when federal immigration agencies request their data, as reported by ABC7NY.
According to a piece by the Gothamist, this legal maneuver by the Trump administration is part of its broader commitment to hardline immigration policies. Bondi's forthright statement, "New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens," reflects her adversarial stance on the policy designed to afford undocumented immigrants the opportunity for legal identification and the benefits therein, such as obtaining insurance and improving road safety.
On the other side of the aisle, staunch defenders of the law stand their ground. New York Attorney General Letitia James stated, "Our state laws, including the Green Light law, protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep our communities safe," as detailed by Gothamist. She has committed to defending the state's statutes, echoing the sentiment of Governor Kathy Hochul, whose spokesperson, in the wake of the announced legal action, emphasized the governor's commitment to law and order when it comes to criminal deportations but also to supporting families not under such scrutiny. This position represents a notable shift from Hochul's previous opposition to similar measures as Erie County clerk in 2007.
Contentions are not confined to the legal domain; they extend to the realm of political optics and bureaucratic acrimony. When the Green Light law was first enacted, the Trump administration retaliated by barring New York residents from Trusted Traveler Programs, though this decision was later reversed after the Department of Justice acknowledged inaccuracies in their defense. This reveals that while multiple states quietly accommodate undocumented residents with provisional driving privileges, New York's law draws particular partisan ire and legal challenge, perhaps as much for what it represents as for its substance. As Molly Biklen, interim legal director for the New York Civil Liberties Union, told the Gothamist, the looming lawsuit could be perceived as yet another attempt to "shamelessly weaponize the Department of Justice" against the state.
