The Trump administration intends to challenge sanctuary city policies by threatening to bring charges against state and municipal officials who oppose federal immigration enforcement, according to a recent Justice Department document.
The three-page directive demonstrates how the Trump administration has been working for weeks to draft memos that they believe will be more resilient to legal challenges, according to CNN.
“Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests,” the memo reads. “The U.S. Attorney’s Offices and litigating components of the Department of Justice shall investigate incidents involving any such misconduct for potential prosecution.”
in identifying state and municipal laws and policies that “threaten to impede” Trump’s immigration measures and to file legal challenges against them.
While the department waits for Pamela Bondi to be confirmed as attorney general, Bove’s memo refers to the modifications as interim policy guidance.
President Trump’s executive order to halt all federal DEI programs on Monday prompted the release of the memo.
