A controversial New York law that blocks federal agents trying to enforce immigration laws from seeing illegal immigrants’ criminal driving records during stops is putting law enforcement and American citizens in danger, experts say, and the Trump administration is suing to have the legislation undone.

The so-called green light law, officially known as the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, took effect in 2019 but has come under renewed scrutiny following a fatal shootout in neighboring Vermont that left a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent dead near the border with Canada, and as President Donald Trump has ordered a nationwide crackdown on known criminal aliens at the start of his second term in the White House.

“Any information that can help law enforcement stay safe as they conduct their duties has pretty much been taken away with this green light law,” said Hector Garza, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council.

The “green light law” has two key features. One is granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. The other is that it blocks Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents from access to New York driver records, including those for felonies and misdemeanors. 

The New York lawsuit came after the DOJ sued Illinois and Chicago over sanctuary policies.

“Whenever the states refuse to work with federal law enforcement, it hinders public safety,” Garza said. “At the end of the day, the ones that are being impacted here are the communities that we’re trying to protect.”

Former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said it was such a security concern that New York residents would temporarily be unable to apply for or renew their status as trusted traveler programs (TTPs), which includes Global Entry membership.

“This is about the state cutting off information sharing with [Customs and Border Protection] and law enforcement not being able to do their job to properly vet individuals applying for the TTP,” DHS said at the time.

Border Patrol stops have frequently led to arrests of smugglers and known criminals, according to former federal assistant U.S. attorney Neama Rahmani, a Los Angeles trial lawyer who early in his career prosecuted cross-border drug traffickers.

“I saw many, many arrests that resulted from a CBP traffic stop at the border or a Border Patrol stop in the United States,” he told Fox News Digital. “At the border, we were looking for people who were trying to enter the United States unlawfully with false documents or criminals who were trying to smuggle aliens in the compartments of their vehicle. In the country, we were looking for smugglers who were transporting aliens to stash houses or their final destination in the United States.”

Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.