The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit challenging New York's Green Light Law, which allows some undocumented migrants to obtain driver's licenses and restricts federal immigration enforcement agencies from accessing the state's motor vehicle information database. The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of New York, argues that the law obstructs federal immigration enforcement by limiting the sharing of records with immigration agencies.
The government contends that this restriction violates the Supremacy Clause in the US Constitution, which gives precedence to federal law over state laws. The Department of Justice is seeking a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction to prevent New York officials from enforcing the law and is asking the court to declare it unlawful.
The complaint states that DMV information is crucial for federal immigration agencies to identify and remove individuals who are in the country illegally. The lawsuit names Governor Kathy Hochul, State Attorney General Letitia James, and State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder as defendants.
In response, Governor Hochul defended the Green Light Law, emphasizing that federal immigration officials can access DMV databases with a judicial warrant. She expressed concerns about granting unfettered access to personal data, particularly for vulnerable individuals like 16-year-old drivers.
The Green Light Law, also known as the Driver's License Access and Privacy Act, allows New Yorkers aged 16 and above to apply for a standard noncommercial driver's license regardless of their citizenship or lawful status in the United States.
