Newly-Minted AG Pam Bondi Seeks to Defund Sanctuary Cities That 'Interfere With Federal Law Enforcement'

Attorney General Pam Bondi, sworn in to her post on Wednesday, issued a series of sweeping directives on her first day in office as she seeks to lead a shift in President Donald Trump's Justice Department. Her initial actions include defunding sanctuary jurisdictions, reviewing prosecutions related to Trump, reinstating the federal death penalty and ending diversity initiatives within the department.

Regarding the former, the Department of Justice has now been instructed to halt funding to jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, with Bondi stating that the department will "pause the distribution of all funds" to sanctuary jurisdictions for 60 days while conducting a review, after which further steps will be determined.

"The Department of Justice will ensure that, consistent with law, 'sanctuary jurisdictions' do not receive access to Federal funds from the Department," reads a passage of Bondi's first-day memo. "State and local jurisdictions must comply with applicable immigration-related federal laws," the memo continued, adding that "state and local actors may not impede, obstruct, or otherwise fail to comply with lawful immigration-related directives."

Bondi has also barred the department from entering into new contracts or grants with organizations providing services to individuals residing in the country unlawfully. New York, California, and several other major cities, including Chicago and Washington, D.C., could see funding cuts under this policy.

Bondi's directives apply to broader law enforcement policies, as she ordered the Justice Department to increase efforts against drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations, prioritizing their "total elimination."

Bondi has also lifted the moratorium on federal executions, reversing the Biden administration's stance. She stated that prosecutors should seek the death penalty in cases involving the murder of law enforcement officers or capital crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, as CBS News reports.

Sanctuary cities have been on the new administration's target since Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, was appointed. Homan had promised since back in November to withhold federal funds from states and municipalities that refuse to cooperate with his mass deportation initiatives. "That is going to happen," said Homan during a Fox News interview on November 25. "I guarantee President Trump will do that."

Such notices to sanctuary cities intensified just days before Trump's inauguration, as America First Legal (AFL), a conservative organization led by upcoming deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, issued notice letters to 249 officials in sanctuary jurisdictions across the United States warning of potential civil and criminal liabilities.

While some, like New York City Mayor Eric Adams, have chosen to cooperate with the Trump administration's immigration crackdown despite the city's sanctuary status, others like California's Gavin Newsom have chosen to stand against it, its latest move involving the approval of $50 million earlier this week for upcoming legal battles against the federal government and legal aid for immigrants facing deportation.