On Wednesday, February 12, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Justice Department is suing New York and its top officials, accusing them of prioritizing “illegal aliens over American citizens.”
“We already sued Illinois, and New York didn’t listen. Now, you’re next,” Bondi said. In her first press conference since taking office, Bondi claimed that millions of individuals with violent criminal backgrounds had entered communities, bringing violence and drugs, and blamed states like New York for exacerbating the issue with their permissive immigration policies.
The lawsuit names the state of New York, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and Mark Schroeder, the state’s motor vehicle commissioner. Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
James defended the state’s laws, stating, “I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I always have.”
Bondi argued that New York’s policies prevent law enforcement agencies from collaborating with immigration authorities, allowing criminals to act without consequence. She introduced Tammy Nobles, an “Angel Mom” whose 20-year-old daughter, Kayla Hamilton, was killed in 2022 by an MS-13 gang member in New York.
“Yet he was released, flown to Maryland, and committed this violent murder,” Bondi said.
While Bondi did not cite specific legal violations, she contended that New York’s policies hinder law enforcement from conducting background checks on potentially dangerous offenders living in the country illegally.
The Justice Department filed a similar lawsuit against Illinois and Chicago last week, accusing their sanctuary policies of obstructing federal immigration enforcement.
Bondi’s press conference came after a series of federal court rulings temporarily blocking several of President Donald Trump’s policies, including efforts to freeze spending, cut the federal workforce, end automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S., and transfer transgender women to men’s prisons. However, a Boston judge 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 stated that he will comply with the rulings but will pursue legal avenues to overturn them. Bondi dismissed the suggestion of judicial impeachments, as raised 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 ultimately be struck down by the Supreme Court of the United States if the appellate courts don’t follow the law.”
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and 18-year state prosecutor, previously defended Trump during his first impeachment.
Trump appointed several of his former defense lawyers to top Justice Department roles, including Todd Blanche and Emil Bove as deputy and principal associate deputy attorneys general, respectively, and John Sauer as solicitor general.
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 stated. “I’ve demonstrated that throughout my career as a prosecutor and attorney general, and I will continue to do so.” 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.
