Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a warning that California could face a loss of federal funding if Governor Gavin Newsom fails to terminate the state’s sanctuary city policies.
Bondi revealed in a post on X that the Department of Justice (DOJ) sent demand letters to sanctuary jurisdictions across the country in an effort to eliminate these policies within California. Her post contained a letter directed at Newsom.
In her letter, Bondi stated that President Donald Trump had “directed” her to collaborate with Homeland Security Secretary Christa Noem to “pinpoint the jurisdiction of the sanctuary and inform them of the illegal sanctuary status and possible violations of federal law.”
“The U.S. has a rich history of working alongside state and local law enforcement, especially concerning immigration issues,” Bondi mentioned. “Such cooperation is vital for enforcing federal law and safeguarding national security. Congress recognized this necessity by codifying the obligations for state and local governments to assist in immigration enforcement.”
Bondi went on to emphasize:
Under President Trump’s leadership, it’s critical that state and local governments fully cooperate with immigration enforcement. To foster this cooperation, the President has collaborated with the Secretary of Homeland Security to instruct the U.S. Attorney General to determine sanctuary jurisdictions and inform them of any illegal sanctuary conditions and potential federal law violations.
She also noted that Trump “directed federal agencies to identify and assess their legal authority regarding grants, contracts, and federal funds to see where immigration-related requirements could be enforced to address sanctuary policies that contravene federal immigration laws.”
“As outlined in the executive order, the identification of sanctuaries as jurisdictions may lead to additional repercussions as permitted by law,” Bondi added.
“As the leading law enforcement official in the U.S., I am committed to identifying state and local laws and policies that contribute to violations of federal immigration laws, impede legal federal immigration efforts, and to pursue legal actions against such laws or practices,” Bondi continued.
Earlier in August, the DOJ released a list featuring over 30 sanctuary cities, states, and counties identified as “sanctuary jurisdictions.” California was among the states cited, along with Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington, DC.
Sanctuary counties listed included Baltimore County, Maryland, and multiple areas in California, such as San Diego and San Francisco.
Sanctuary cities on the list featured Berkeley, California; Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; and Denver, Colorado, among others.
Trump’s executive order from April, titled “Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens,” instructed Bondi and Noem to “publish a list of jurisdictions that obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws.”
For the sanctuary jurisdictions identified under this order, the heads of each enforcement agency will collaborate with the Director of the Administration and Budget Office to pinpoint appropriate federal funds available by law.
