US judge tosses Trump challenge to New York immigration-related law
U.S. District Judge Anne Nardacci in Albany rejected Justice Department arguments that a New York law restricting the Democratic-led state’s Motor Vehicle Service ability to share vehicle and address information with federal immigration authorities violates the U.S. Constitution.
The decision was welcomed on social media by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat whose office defended the state law against what she said was a “baseless” lawsuit. He, along with Gov. Kathy Hochul, were among three state officials named as defendants in the lawsuit.
“As I have said from the beginning, our laws protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep our communities safe,” James said.
The Ministry of Justice declined to comment.
U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi announced the lawsuit at a press conference in February as part of the Republican president’s administration’s legal campaign against laws passed by so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions” run by Democrats.
The lawsuit targeted a state law known as the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, or “Green Light Act.” This was a law that the state enacted in 2019, allowing immigrants in the United States illegally to obtain a driver’s license. The law instructed the state’s DMV to accept a variety of foreign documents as proof of identity and age for standard licenses and prohibited the state agency from obtaining information about applicants’ immigration status.
The Justice Department under the Trump administration claimed the law impeded its ability to address the “illegal immigration crisis” and argued that the law interfered with enforcement of “federal immigration” laws in New York.
He argued that federal immigration law preempts state law and that New York’s law regulates the federal government without permission, in violation of the U.S. Constitution. The Ministry of Justice asked the judge to block the application.
But Nardacci, who was appointed by Democratic former President Joe Biden, said the administration could not plausibly argue that the law violates the Constitution.
He said the administration could point to no federal law requiring New York to provide DMV information to federal immigration authorities for standard license applicants.
