New York Republican adds pressure on Hochul to repeal Green Light Law

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., has introduced a new bill that could have significant implications for states like New York that issue driver’s licenses and identification cards to illegal immigrants. The bill, named the Red Light Act, aims to withhold federal highway funding from states that provide these forms of identification to individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States.

Tenney, who co-chaired the House Election Integrity Caucus during the 2024 election that resulted in President-elect Trump’s victory, believes that states like New York are incentivizing and rewarding criminals by allowing them to obtain driver’s licenses. She argues that laws like New York’s Green Light Law, which was passed in 2019 and allows undocumented individuals to receive driver’s licenses, are putting communities at risk.

The Green Light Law also directs the state Department of Motor Vehicles to withhold records from federal law enforcement agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without a court order. This has led to criticism from law enforcement leaders who see the law as obstructing their ability to enforce immigration laws.

In response to the Green Light Law, Trump’s incoming border czar Tom Homan has suggested blocking vehicles with New York license plates from entering the U.S. from the Canadian border. Governor Kathy Hochul has expressed a willingness to sit down and discuss the issue with Homan, but has also raised concerns about the potential impact on New Yorkers.

Tenney’s bill would give the secretary of transportation the authority to withhold federal highway funding from states that continue to provide driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. The funding could be withheld for fiscal year 2025 and beyond, with the possibility of reallocating the funds to states that repeal similar laws.

This bill has the potential to have far-reaching consequences for states like New York that have implemented policies to provide driver’s licenses to undocumented individuals. It remains to be seen how this proposal will be received in Congress and what impact it could have on immigration policies at the state level.