Transcript of Pam Bondi is trying to put an end to ‘renegade prosecutors’: Expert

Joining me now is former federal prosecutor Andrew Tarkasky. Thank you so much, Andrew, for being here. Can you explain first what AG Bondi is trying to do here with this Green light law?

Well, attorney general Bondi is really trying to put an end to renegade prosecutors in Southern New York. That includes both the US attorneys and the liberal ones who have stayed around from the last administration and want to continue with political prosecutions. It also includes LaTisha James and the lawmakers in the state of New York who are seeking to end the use of affirmative New York state action to interfere or frustrate the efforts of immigration control on the federal scale. That violates the supremacy clause, ultimately. The state cannot pass laws or take action that directly interferes with that which is the federal authority. Here, where the country is in so desperate need to get the immigration problem under control, we have New York laws and prosecutors who are acting on them to take steps to interfere with federal enforcement of the law.

Well, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, responding to the lawsuit on Wednesday in a statement, Our current laws allow federal immigration officials to access any DMV database with a judicial warrant. That's a common sense approach that most New Yorkers support, but there's no way I'm letting federal agents or Elon Musk's a shadowy DOGE operation get unfettered access to the personal data of any New Yorker in the DMV system. We expect Pam Bondi's worthless, publicity-driven lawsuit to be a total failure, just like all the others. Let me be clear, New York is not backing down. Andrew, your reaction?

Well, the courts have had some rulings in the past that allow for some degree of sanctuary cities or these sanctuary policies of states. But those laws are not consistent with what the New York law is, and it's not consistent with the time frame that we're in, where immigration crises have gotten so bad all around the country. I think that when you really pick apart Governor Hochul's statement that is trying to attack Elon Musk's DOGE, which is a perfectly legitimate government agency that was created by the Obama administration and just, I guess, retooled a bit under the priorities of President Trump. You look at the actions of Attorney General Pam Bondi to make sure that the federal government and the executive branches' enforcement of the law is not something that is secondary to the state's enforcement of the law. I think all of the actions that are being taken here are perfectly legitimate and fall in line with the Constitution and the separation of powers in our country.

Well, we will continue to watch that. We're going to switch gears here a little bit, Andrew, to a city taking on President Trump. Denver Public Schools is suing the Trump administration over ICE access to schools. We should note, no school has been rated that we know of. Still, the superintendent is speaking out. Listen.

If the goal was to create fear in a community, it's been an absolute success. Folks are terrified. You're not going to find these criminals, these gang leaders, and these rapists that we've heard, that is the target, sitting crisscross applesauce on the colorful rug.

Does he have any standing for this? This is the first public school to do this in the country.

Well, I think that the fear that he's communicating is certainly something that's created by the issue that we have with sanctuary cities. To some degree, court precedent has said that cities or states that are simply not actively helping the federal government enforce immigration, that that is to some degree lawful. It's the interference of which is really the problem. That comes in at government buildings like schools or apartment buildings that are owned by states. If federal officers want to come in in order to execute legitimate law enforcement purposes, does the state or local government at that point just step back like the law requires them to enforce the law, or do they block the doors? Do they not allow people in? That would be interference with those law enforcement activities and clearly illegal. This lawsuit is necessary, I think, for these sanctuary cities that are trying to actively interfere with federal law enforcement agents executing the law on government property like schools or like apartment buildings. This is an important question, but I think the courts are going to be very favorable to the Trump administration.

The courts are very busy right now, as we all know. Andrew Chukasky, thank you so much..