State Attorney General Letitia James on Monday sued the Trump administration to halt its decision last week to ban thousands of New Yorkers from enrolling in federal programs intended to expedite international travel.

The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, claimed that the policy specifically targeted the state and its residents over a new "Green Light" law, which took effect in December and allows undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses.

In a 30-page complaint, James said the move to revoke New York's participation in the Trusted Traveler programs was not tethered to any legitimate federal interest and stripped the state of its guarantee of equal sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment.

"New Yorkers will not be held hostage by an Administration intent on restraining the sovereign rights of states, while it simultaneously enacts discriminatory policies across the country," James said in a press release announcing the lawsuit.

"The Trump administration's new policy not only negatively impacts travelers, workers, commerce, and our economy, but it jeopardizes public safety. No one should ever use our nation's security as a political weapon, let alone the commander-in-chief," she said.

James and Gov. Andrew Cuomo had promised litigation last week in response to the policy,  which Trump administration officials defended as necessary to screen travelers with criminal histories. The leaders, however, called the move an act of political retribution designed to punish New York over its support of the Green Light law and other policies meant to protect undocumented immigrants.

The lawsuit names the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and their acting heads, as defendants, and seeks injunctive relief, including a delay in its implementation, as well as an order declaring the ban unconstitutional.

Read More: