Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday, February 12, that the Justice Department is taking legal action against the state of New York and its top officials, alleging that the state’s policies prioritize “illegal aliens over American citizens.”
During her first news conference since taking office, Bondi claimed that “millions” of individuals with violent criminal records have entered communities, bringing violence and drugs. She blamed states like New York for exacerbating the issue through permissive immigration policies.
“As you know, we sued Illinois and New York didn’t listen. So now you’re next,” Bondi stated.
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 did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
James defended New York’s laws, saying, “I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I always have.”
Bondi argued that New York’s policies restrict law enforcement agencies from collaborating with federal immigration authorities, allowing criminals to operate without consequences. To emphasize her point, she introduced Tammy Nobles, an “Angel Mom,” 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.
While Bondi did not specify the legal violations by New York, she asserted that the state’s policies hinder law enforcement from conducting background checks on potentially violent offenders who are in the country illegally.
This lawsuit follows a similar legal action against Illinois and Chicago last week, where the Justice Department accused the state and city of obstructing federal immigration enforcement through their sanctuary policies.
Bondi’s announcement comes amid a series of federal court rulings that have temporarily blocked several of President Donald Trump’s policies, including attempts to freeze spending, reduce the federal workforce, end automatic citizenship for children born on U.S. soil, and send transgender women to men’s prisons. However, a judge in Boston allowed Trump’s federal employee buyout plan to proceed.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the rulings, stating, “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 vowed to comply with the rulings while pursuing legal avenues to overturn them. Bondi dismissed the possibility of judicial impeachments, as suggested by Trump aide Elon Musk, saying, “We’re going to follow the law right now. We’re going to follow the process. 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.”
A former Florida attorney general and 18-year state prosecutor, Bondi previously defended Trump during his first impeachment. Since her appointment, Trump has pardoned nearly all individuals charged in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, and the Justice Department has dismissed prosecutors involved in the investigation.
At her confirmation hearing, Bondi assured lawmakers that her role at the Justice Department would remain free 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.”
The lawsuit against New York marks the latest escalation in the ongoing debate over immigration policies and their impact on public safety.
