Trump Ally Threatens San Diego Leaders With Prison Over Sanctuary Laws

San Diego County officials are facing threats of criminal and civil action from an organization aligned with Trump over claims that the county's sanctuary policies limiting federal immigration enforcement violate federal laws.

In a Dec. 23 letter, the America First Legal Foundation, a conservative nonprofit led by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, warned that elected officials could be held criminally liable for obstructing federal immigration enforcement.

The letter cited federal laws against harboring undocumented immigrants and suggested potential civil liability under anti-racketeering statutes.

The threats come after San Diego's Board of Supervisors passed a policy prohibiting local law enforcement from communicating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without a judicial warrant, Cal Matters reported. This measure goes beyond California's state sanctuary law, which already limits local cooperation with ICE in most cases.

America First Legal also targeted other California leaders, including Attorney General Rob Bonta and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, as part of its campaign against sanctuary policies.

Nora Vargas, chair of the San Diego Board of Supervisors and a champion of immigrant rights, stepped down from her position shortly after the letter was sent, citing security concerns. In a statement, Vargas defended the board's policy as fully compliant with federal and state laws.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta dismissed the threats as "scare tactics" and pointed out that the state's sanctuary law, SB 54, has been upheld in court. Democratic leaders have vowed to fight any federal overreach, with state Senate leader Mike McGuire calling the proposed actions "draconian" and harmful to California's economy.

While legal experts argue the claim that sanctuary policies violate federal law is unfounded, local leaders in sanctuary jurisdictions may face heightened pressure to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to implement what he has called "the largest mass deportation campaign in U.S. history."