DHS Bans New Yorkers from Trusted Traveler Programs over Sanctuary Law Allowing Illegal Immigrants to Receive Driver Licenses
Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf sent a letter to New York State Wednesday informing officials that New Yorkers would not be eligible for DHS’s Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) because of the state’s law allowing illegal-immigrants to receive state driver’s licenses.
The “Green Light” law, which went into effect in December, also blocks federal agencies like ICE and CBP from accessing the state’s DMV records without a court order.
“Although DHS would prefer to continue our long-standing cooperative relationship with New York on a variety of these critical homeland security initiatives, this Act and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHS’s efforts to protect the Homeland are not compromised,” the letter reads.
Wolf, speaking with Tucker Carlson Wednesday night, called the law “disappointing.”
“They can’t enroll or reenroll in these Trusted Traveler Programs that Customs and Border Protection offers because we no longer have access to make sure that they meet those program requirements,” he explained.
In response, a senior adviser to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told the Associated Press that the move amounted to “political retaliation.”
“This is obviously political retaliation by the federal government, and we’re going to review our legal options,” said Rich Azzopardi.
While the letter specifies that the international travel programs under the TTP will be curtailed, it is unclear whether the move will affect Transportation Security Administration’s pre-check program, which also falls under TTP.
President Trump singled out sanctuary-city policies during his State of the Union address on Tuesday, stating that “my administration is restoring the rule of law and reasserting the culture of American freedom.”
“Tragically, there are many cities in America where radical politicians have chosen to provide sanctuary for these criminal illegal aliens. In sanctuary cities, local officials order police to release dangerous criminal aliens to prey upon the public, instead of handing them over to ICE to be safely removed,” he said.
