The Justice Department has issued a new memo to federal prosecutors across the country. It instructs them to investigate and take legal action against any state or local official obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
The directive comes after President Donald Trump signed several executive orders on his first day in office, including one declaring a national emergency related to border security.
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, told news outlets that a mass deportation operation is already underway, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) making arrests of migrants in the U.S. illegally who are considered public safety threats.
The Justice Department’s memo reads in part: “It is the responsibility of the Justice Department to defend the Constitution and, accordingly, to lawfully execute the policies that the American people elected President Trump to implement. Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests.”
The memo also directs federal prosecutors to investigate local and state laws or policies that could undermine the administration’s immigration initiatives and, if necessary, challenge those policies in court.
Some of these local policies may include sanctuary-style protections in cities where local law enforcement is prohibited from sharing information with federal ICE agents about migrants in custody who are in the country illegally.
The memo, sent by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, also highlights the allegedly increasing threats from transnational criminal organizations, such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, as well as rising violent crime and fentanyl smuggling, which Bove attributes to the surge in illegal immigration.
It is common for the Justice Department to shift priorities when a new president takes office to better align with their policy goals.
As of this report, mayors in cities such as Denver, Chicago and San Diego — areas with sanctuary policies protecting migrants in the country illegally — have not commented on the directive for federal authorities to investigate local policies.
