DOJ Announces Lawsuit Against New York, Hochul and State AG James Over ‘Sanctuary’ Status

The Justice Department declared on Wednesday that it is filing a lawsuit against New York State over its policy of restricting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, putting Gov. Kathy Hochul, state Attorney General Letitia James, and DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder in the spotlight of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s actions.

“This is a new DOJ,” Bondi stated. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today.”

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

Just last week, the Justice Department sought a federal court’s immediate intervention to invalidate sanctuary policies in Illinois and Chicago, claiming that state and local officials “are an obstacle to the Federal Government’s enforcement of the immigration laws and discriminate against federal immigration enforcement.”

On her first day in office, Bondi also halted all DOJ funding for 60 days to so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions,” including states like New York and California.

In 2023, law enforcement grants to New York City alone totaled over $1.56 billion, according to the Center for Immigration Services, a conservative nonprofit research group.

The Justice Department was expected to allocate more than $8 billion in funding to city agencies for fiscal year 2025, according to municipal data.

However, Bondi instructed her department to “not enter into any new contract, grant, or other agreement to provide Federal funding to non-governmental organizations that support or provide services, either directly or indirectly (e.g., through sub-contracting or other arrangements), to removable or illegal aliens.”

These actions coincide with efforts by border czar Tom Homan to intensify immigration removal efforts across the country, removing 11,000 migrants identified for having been charged or convicted of criminal offenses.

Some of these migrants have been sent to the US military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, while others have been flown back to their home countries, such as Venezuela and Colombia. The latter country is under pressure from President Trump to impose import taxes in response to the situation.

Republicans in Congress from Democratic-controlled states have long pushed for the elimination of sanctuary policies, highlighting instances where migrants who avoided federal custody later committed violent crimes.

The first piece of legislation Trump signed after returning to the White House aimed to reduce the power of local governments by mandating the deportation of migrants charged with serious crimes like theft, assault, or causing bodily harm or death.

That bill, known as the Laken Riley Act, was named after a 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia who was murdered by an illegal immigrant with a prior theft-related arrest.

Jose Ibarra, a member of the violent Tren de Aragua gang, had been released into the U.S. by the Biden administration after crossing the southern border.

Ibarra also managed to evade authorities after being charged with child endangerment in Queens, New York.

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order tasking Bondi with reviewing sanctuary policies at the state and local level, cutting off federal funding, and imposing penalties on those refusing to cooperate with immigration enforcement.

Working alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Bondi was also authorized to recover federal funds “determined to be in violation of law or to be sources of waste, fraud, or abuse.”

{Matzav.com}