Acting ICE Director Blasts NY’s Green Light Law , Governor Cuomo Responds

ALBANY, N.Y. (WWNY) - The nation’s top immigration enforcement official came to New York Thursday to speak out against the state’s new Green Light Law. He said the law is a danger to officers and the public because law enforcement doesn’t have access to the information they need.

Protesters held signs and chanted outside of a press conference in Troy Thursday morning. Inside, the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and around 30 law enforcement officials blasted New York’s Green Light Law.

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Source: MSN

Statement from Governor Andrew Cuomo 

"In response to the acting ICE director's statements, I want to again make my position clear: I have said from Day 1 we will never allow the DMV database to be used for immigration purposes. The Trump administration has been increasing their threats to hold New Yorkers hostage to their demand to turn over the DMV database for ICE and Customs and Border Protection to use to aid their deportation of innocent law abiding undocumented families.

"Every situation they have raised I have answered. We can provide trusted travel information. We can provide the automobile export industry information. What they really want and what we can't provide is use of the DMV data for immigration purposes. Period. Their extortion and bullying will not work in New York.

"In addition, as many national, state and local law enforcement agencies currently have access to our DMV database and the potential for surreptitious access to the database is very real, I am exploring alternatives to minimize the harm caused by unauthorized use of our database such as removal of social security numbers - which could be used to evidence undocumented status - and increasing the penalty for unauthorized use of the DMV database.

"The Trump administration's increasing attempts to extort New York State compliance by inconveniencing law abiding citizens will not be effective. I will never allow use of the DMV database for immigration actions."

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo