New York State officials said they intend to prosecute the Trump administration because of its decision this week to ban thousands of New Yorkers from enrolling in programs that facilitate their travel procedures and provide them with long lines, whether at airports or at the border.
The lawsuit will be the latest escalation of tensions between President Trump and the state in which he grew up, after the Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that it would prevent New Yorkers from using those programs that facilitate travel (Trusted Traveler), which include the "Global Entry" program.
The US administration had issued this decision in response to a new law in New York allowing illegal immigrants living in the state to obtain a driver’s license. This law, known as the "green light law", also prevents federal immigration officials from obtaining traffic databases for car registration without a warrant.
The Trump administration also accused the state of New York of interfering with "federal law enforcement efforts to keep our nation safe" by adopting the law. The administration said it would lift the ban on those programs if New York allowed them to obtain car registration records.
The officials said the lawsuit would be brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who confirmed that the federal government's actions were arbitrary and capricious and did not provide state residents with equal protection and violated the state's "sovereign immunity".
The state governor, Democrat Andrew Como, told a Manhattan news conference that the US administration was implementing its political plans at the expense of citizens in New York.
New York is one of more than a dozen US states that have passed laws allowing illegal immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. Supporters say such laws make the roads safer, provide more economic opportunities, and reduce migrants' fear of deportation because of their driving violations.
These states have also enacted laws to protect personal information from federal immigration officials, but federal authorities have said that New York State law is the most restrictive.
The Department of Homeland Security decision had direct implications for the nearly 50,000 state residents who have pending requests for (Trusted Traveler) programs such as Global Entry, which speed up U.S. customs checks and border protection for international air travelers when they enter the United States. The membership of more than 175,000 citizens of the state will expire this year and will be subject to the new law.
The lawsuit will be the latest escalation of tensions between President Trump and the state in which he grew up, after the Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that it would prevent New Yorkers from using those programs that facilitate travel (Trusted Traveler), which include the "Global Entry" program.
The US administration had issued this decision in response to a new law in New York allowing illegal immigrants living in the state to obtain a driver’s license. This law, known as the "green light law", also prevents federal immigration officials from obtaining traffic databases for car registration without a warrant.
The Trump administration also accused the state of New York of interfering with "federal law enforcement efforts to keep our nation safe" by adopting the law. The administration said it would lift the ban on those programs if New York allowed them to obtain car registration records.
The officials said the lawsuit would be brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who confirmed that the federal government's actions were arbitrary and capricious and did not provide state residents with equal protection and violated the state's "sovereign immunity".
The state governor, Democrat Andrew Como, told a Manhattan news conference that the US administration was implementing its political plans at the expense of citizens in New York.
New York is one of more than a dozen US states that have passed laws allowing illegal immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. Supporters say such laws make the roads safer, provide more economic opportunities, and reduce migrants' fear of deportation because of their driving violations.
These states have also enacted laws to protect personal information from federal immigration officials, but federal authorities have said that New York State law is the most restrictive.
The Department of Homeland Security decision had direct implications for the nearly 50,000 state residents who have pending requests for (Trusted Traveler) programs such as Global Entry, which speed up U.S. customs checks and border protection for international air travelers when they enter the United States. The membership of more than 175,000 citizens of the state will expire this year and will be subject to the new law.
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