The state of New York sued the Trump administration Friday over its decision to withhold $73 million in federal highway funding if the state does not revoke Commercial Driver's Licenses for thousands of immigrants.

The Transportation Department announced last week that it was withholding the funding until New York revokes the driver's licenses and permits after the state failed a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit last year.

New York has maintained that it issued the driver's licenses in compliance with state and federal regulations. 

“New Yorkers depend on safe, reliable roads and bridges to get to work, take their kids to school, and keep our economy moving," Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. "The administration cannot promise funding to our state and then abruptly yank it away.

"By canceling this funding, the federal government is putting jobs and communities at risk," she continued. "New Yorkers are counting on these investments, and we will not let the president jeopardize our communities’ safety. My office is taking this administration to court to ensure New York gets every dollar it is owed.” 

The lawsuit comes after a nationwide audit found that New York routinely gave commercial driver's licenses to migrant truckers illegally. 

The FMCSA audit sampled 200 records in New York and found that 107 of them were issued in violation of federal law.

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