Overview
- U.S. District Judge Anne M. Nardacci in Albany dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit on Dec. 23, leaving New York’s 2019 Green Light Law in place.
- The ruling said the DOJ did not show the law violates the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and cited no federal statute requiring New York to provide standard-license DMV data to immigration agencies.
- The Green Light Law allows standard driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status, accepts alternative identification for applicants without Social Security numbers, and does not apply to commercial licenses.
- The DOJ sued in February, naming Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James, arguing the law hinders immigration enforcement and objecting to provisions requiring notice when federal agencies request records.
- Nardacci noted federal authorities can still access driver information with judicial authorization; New York’s attorney general praised the decision, and the Justice Department declined comment on next steps.