‘Any sanctuary jurisdiction … can either come to the table or see us in court,’ Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote.
Attorney General Pam Bondi on Aug. 14 sent demand letters to states, counties, and cities considered sanctuary jurisdictions for their policies limiting or prohibiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
“Any sanctuary jurisdiction that continues to put illegal aliens ahead of American citizens can either come to the table or see us in court,” Bondi wrote in a post on X.
She said sending the letters was “a key step in our strategic effort to eradicate sanctuary policies from California to New York.”
A sanctuary jurisdiction is a jurisdiction where local or state law enforcement agencies refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Bondi’s post included an example of the letters addressed to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“For too long, so-called sanctuary jurisdiction policies have undermined this necessary cooperation and obstructed federal immigration enforcement, giving aliens cover to perpetrate crimes in our communities and evade the immigration consequences that federal law requires,” Bondi wrote.
The letter indicates that officers or officials who assist in carrying out sanctuary policies may be subject to individual criminal liability, increasing the stakes for noncompliance.
“Individuals operating under the color of law, using their official position to obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts and facilitating or inducing illegal immigration may be subject to criminal charges,” Bondi wrote.
She said that DOJ and U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel have been instructed to “investigate incidents involving any such potential unlawful conduct and … where supported by the evidence, prosecute violations of federal laws.”
Earlier in August, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a list of alleged sanctuary jurisdictions.
The DOJ said that such jurisdictions were defined by their endorsement of “actions and policies that materially impede enforcement of federal immigration statutes and regulations” in the area.
President Donald Trump has criticized such jurisdictions, threatening consequences for continued refusal to comply with the law.
In April, Trump in an executive order called for the creation of a list of jurisdictions considered sanctuary jurisdictions, writing that “some State and local officials … continue to use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws.
“It is imperative that the Federal Government restore the enforcement of United States law,” the executive order said.
A list of such jurisdictions was initially released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in May.
However, DHS removed the list from its websites after sheriffs and local law enforcement officials criticized it as having been “created without any input, criteria of compliance, or a mechanism for how to object to the designation.”
The DOJ included 12 states in addition to the District of Columbia, four counties, and 18 cities in its list of alleged sanctuary jurisdictions.
In contrast to the list released by DHS, which threatened loss of federal funding for noncompliance, the DOJ only stated that it will continue court action against local authorities included in the list.
The 12 states listed in the DOJ release include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
The counties include Baltimore County, Maryland; Cook County, Illinois; San Diego County, California; and San Francisco County, California.
The cities include several major American population centers, including Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Francisco. Also listed are Albuquerque, New Mexico; Berkeley, California; East Lansing, Michigan; Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark, Paterson, all in New Jersey; Portland, Oregon; and Rochester, New York.
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