Pam Bondi threatens prosecution for leaders not complying with immigration officers | US immigration

Pam Bondi, the lawyer basic, mentioned she has despatched “sanctuary metropolis” letters to the mayors of 32 cities and a handful of county executives, warning that she intends to prosecute political leaders who should not in her view sufficiently supportive of immigration enforcement.“You higher be abiding by our federal insurance policies and with our federal regulation enforcement, as a result of for those who’re not, we’re going to come back after you,” she mentioned, chatting with a Fox Information reporter. “Our leaders must assist our regulation enforcement.”Bondi’s letter asks the recipients to supply a response by 19 August that “confirms your dedication with complying with federal regulation and identifies the rapid initiatives you take to get rid of legal guidelines, insurance policies and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement”.Bondi cites an government order issued by Donald Trump on 28 April which known as for the lawyer basic to establish jurisdictions that “impede the enforcement of Federal immigration legal guidelines” then to “notify every sanctuary jurisdiction concerning its defiance of Federal immigration regulation enforcement and any potential violations of Federal prison regulation” as a precursor to prosecution or withholding grants.Every of the recipients seems to have obtained a near-identical letter, none of which specify what native legal guidelines or practices fail to adjust to Bondi’s assertions.Preliminary responses from state and native governments receiving the letters embody a mixture of incredulity and defiance.“Nothing in Lawyer Common Bondi’s letter is new and none of it has authorized benefit,” mentioned Barbara Pierce, director of communications for town of Rochester, New York. “The letter reiterates lots of the frivolous arguments that the federal authorities has already made in its pending go well with towards town of Rochester. These identical arguments had been levied towards town of Chicago and had been dismissed by the federal district courtroom for the japanese district of Illinois practically a month in the past.“We stay up for the chance to answer lawyer Common Bondi’s letter, and proceed to underscore the inaccuracies of the federal authorities’s place.”Bruce Harrell, the Seattle mayor, mentioned the letter’s portrayal of his metropolis and its legal guidelines was untruthful.“Immigration enforcement is the unique duty of the federal authorities. The town neither interferes with nor carries out these federal duties,” he mentioned. “We’ve obtained and are reviewing the most recent letter from Lawyer Common Bondi and strongly disagree with its assertions. Our legal guidelines and insurance policies defend the protection, privateness and constitutional rights of all Seattle residents whereas remaining compliant with relevant regulation.“We stay dedicated to our native values, together with being a welcoming metropolis for all. We’ll proceed to defend our residents and our rights – and we is not going to hesitate to take action in courtroom.”The workplace of Eric Adams, the New York Metropolis mayor, a Trump ally and embattled re-election candidate, provided a much less strident rapid response.“The job of a mayor is to guard the protection of each single particular person of their metropolis – and that’s precisely what Mayor Adams has labored to do each day for practically 4 years,” mentioned Kayla Altus, Adams’ press secretary. “Retaining New Yorkers secure additionally means ensuring they really feel secure, and Mayor Adams has been clear: nobody needs to be afraid to dial 911, ship their youngsters to high school, or go to the hospital, and no New Yorker ought to really feel compelled to cover within the shadows.“That’s why the mayor helps the essence of the native legal guidelines put in place by town council, however he has additionally urged the council to reexamine them to make sure we will successfully work with the federal authorities to maintain violent criminals off our streets.”The letters comply with the publication of a revised “sanctuary jurisdiction” checklist on 5 August. The Division of Homeland Safety withdrew a earlier checklist after an outcry from rural sheriff’s places of work and conservative jurisdictions that argued the checklist was created with out enter from sheriffs and “violated the core ideas of belief, cooperation, and partnership with fellow regulation enforcement”.