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Cuomo Threatens to Sue For Damages Over Trusted Traveler Ban

The Trump administration admitted it singled out New York for withholding some driver's license data even though other states had similar policies

This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) threatened to seek damages against the federal government after it admitted to making false statements in its decision to bar New Yorkers from applying for Global Entry and other Trusted Travelers programs. 

In a lawsuit between the Trump administration and New York state, the federal government admitted it had made inaccurate statements when deciding to bar New Yorkers from the programs and said the ban would be immediately lifted. “I believe there are civil damages that New York State is owed and we’ll be pursuing possible claims for that,” Cuomo said. “It was a clear abuse of government power for political purposes.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) echoed Cuomo’s concerns and called for the Department of Homeland Security inspector general to investigate the issue. 

The back and forth stems from a February decision by DHS to ban New Yorkers from Trusted Travelers programs, which allows travelers to use expedited security checks when leaving the country. DHS said New York’s Green Light Law, which let undocumented immigrants get driver’s licenses, forced it to implement the decision because the law blocked DHS from accessing some driver’s license information. DHS said that endangered national security. But on Thursday, the government admitted several other states had laws similar to the Green Light Law but didn’t implement this response. Reuters

In other local news…

New York State Leads Lawsuit Against Trump’s Census Decision

New York state is leading a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s decision to exclude undocumented immigrants from counting toward congressional apportionment. “The constitution is abundantly clear: For purposes of apportioning members of the House of Representatives among the states, every person residing in the U.S. during the census, regardless of legal status, must be counted,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. New York is joined by 19 states, the District of Columbia, nine cities including New York City, and four counties including three in Texas along the Mexico border, in filing the lawsuit. Gothamist

Long Island Immigrant’s Deportation Case Catches National Attention

Sukhdev Singh, the father of an 8-year-old with cerebral palsy and brain damage, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in early June. The cab driver, who lives in New Hyde Park on Long Island, lost a claim for political asylum in 1999. Singh was transferred to a Louisiana detention facility and his case has since generated widespread interest. Sen. Chuck Schumer has stepped in to block Singh’s deportation, given his lack of a criminal record and the medical condition of his daughter. An emergency legal action in Louisiana prevented Singh’s immediate deportation. Newsday

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