Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Thursday that the Justice Department has issued "demand letters" to various "sanctuary cities, counties, and states" as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration.
In a letter addressed to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and released on social media, Bondi wrote: "The United States has a long history of cooperation with state and local law enforcement agencies, including for immigration enforcement. Such cooperation is vital to enforce federal law and protect national security. Recognizing that need, Congress has codified the duty of states and local governments to cooperate in immigration enforcement efforts."
She went on to claim that "for too long, so-called sanctuary jurisdiction policies have undermined this necessary cooperation and obstructed federal immigration enforcement," which she said allows immigrants "cover to perpetrate crimes in our communities and evade the immigration consequences that federal law requires."
Bondi went on to warn that she is "committed to identifying state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations, and taking legal action to challenge such laws, policies, or practices."
She also noted that "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 sent the letter to Newsom on the same day that the governor announced he would follow through on his threats to redistrict the Golden State to counter efforts by Texas GOP legislators to add five congressional seats for Republicans.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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