Justice Department sues New York over its status as a 'sanctuary state'

New York is the second state to be sued over its immigration enforcement policies. The Justice Department sued Illinois and Chicago last week for allegedly having interfered with federal immigration laws.

Published: February 12, 2025 5:56pm

Updated: February 12, 2025 6:05pm

United States Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday announced that the Justice Department was suing New York and several of its leaders over its status as a "sanctuary state," which limits its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

New York is the second state to be sued over its immigration enforcement policies. The Justice Department sued Illinois and Chicago last week for allegedly having interfered with federal immigration laws.

The announcement occurred during Bondi's first official press briefing as attorney general, which took place one week after she was sworn in.  

“This is a new DOJ,” Bondi announced in the press briefing. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today. As you know, we sued Illinois. New York didn’t listen. So now, you’re next.”

The lawsuit also named Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James and DMV chief Mark Schroeder as defendants, per the New York Post.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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