The Trump Administration is continuing its campaign against sanctuary cities, as shown by Attorney General Pam Bondi sending, on Thursday, August 14, a slew of demand letters to the various states, counties, and cities that are considered sanctuary cities by the standards of the Trump Administration, and thus will face potentially severe federal reprisals.
As background, AG Bondi and the DOJ, along with Tom Homan, previously put all of the sanctuary jurisdictions on notice by notifying them that they qualified as sanctuary jurisdictions because of their policies limiting or prohibiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Now, action is being taken against them.
Posting about the matter on X, AG Bondi said, “Any sanctuary jurisdiction that continues to put illegal aliens ahead of American citizens can either come to the table or see us in court. Today @TheJusticeDept delivered demand letters to sanctuary cities, counties, and states — a key step in our strategic effort to eradicate sanctuary policies from California to New York.”
Beginning the letter, AG Bondi explained that cities and states need to operate with federal law enforcement, saying, “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.”
Continuing, AG Bondi explained that sanctuary policies are getting in the way of that cooperation, saying, “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.”
She then explained that she is taking action to notify them of their violations of federal law so that, if they do not now comply, they will face reprisals. She said, “Under President Trump’s leadership, full cooperation by state and local governments in immigration enforcement efforts is a top priority. To ensure such cooperation, the President has directed the Attorney General of the United States, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to identify sanctuary jurisdictions and notify them of their unlawful sanctuary status and potential violations of federal law.”
She further noted that sanctuary cities will face getting their funding cut in a great many ways, saying, “Additionally, the President directed federal agencies to identify and evaluate their statutory authority to issue grants, contracts, and federal funds, to determine where immigration-related terms and conditions may be added to combat sanctuary policies that violate federal immigration law. See Executive Order 14,287, Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens, 90 Fed. Reg. 18761 (April 28, 2025).
As contemplated by the Executive Order, designation as a sanctuary jurisdiction may result in additional consequences and further agency actions as permitted by law. See id.”
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Establishing her authority to oversee this crackdown on sanctuary cities, she said, “As the chief law enforcement officer of the United States, I am 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. 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.”
Concluding, she noted that those states or localities that continue breaking the law will face litigation from her office, saying, “As such, I have instructed that all litigating components of the Department and each U.S. Attorney’s Office shall investigate incidents involving any such potential unlawful conduct and shall, where supported by the evidence, prosecute violations of federal laws such as 8 U.S.C. § 1324, 18 U.S.C. § 371, 18 U.S.C. § 1071, and 18 U.S.C. § 1505”
Watch Tom Homan comment on the sanctuary city issue here: