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GREENVILLE, S.C. – U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, temporarily leading Washington, D.C.’s police at President Donald Trump’s request, announced Thursday that she had sent letters giving sanctuary jurisdictions nationwide one week to comply with federal immigration laws or face Department of Justice action, contrasting South Carolina with Democratic states like New York and California.
Bondi was in Greenville, South Carolina, on Thursday for a panel discussion with state Attorney General Alan Wilson, several members of Congress and local law enforcement agencies.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital moments before the announcement, Bondi responded to whether temporary federalization of local police departments could be done beyond D.C., such as in New York or elsewhere.
“Oh, let’s wait and see what’s going to happen,” Bondi told Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace. “But I just sent sanctuary city letters to 32 mayors around the country and multiple governors saying, ‘you better be abiding by our federal policies and with our federal law enforcement, because if you aren’t, we’re going to come after you.’ And they have, I think, a week to respond to me, so let’s see who responds and how they respond.”
Bondi announced on social media that the DOJ has sent “demand letters” to sanctuary cities, counties and states as “a key step in our strategic effort to eradicate sanctuary policies from California to New York.” Threatening lawsuits, she said that “any sanctuary jurisdiction that continues to put illegal aliens ahead of American citizens can either come to the table or see us in court.”
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After Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s primary win in June, the New York City Police Department reportedly saw retirement filings surge. Bondi, who criticized incumbent Mayor Eric Adams over the city’s sanctuary status in the past, told Fox News Digital on Thursday it’s crucial for officers’ safety for them to have strong leadership. Adams has cooperated with border czar Tom Homan on federal immigration enforcement.
“It starts at the top and our leaders have to support our law enforcement,” Bondi told Fox News Digital. “They risk their lives every single day to keep us safe. There’s no ordinary day in the life of a police officer nor for their families, because they leave the house every day, and they don’t know what to expect. And our government, our leaders, have got to back them and that’s got to happen in New York. We have got back our law enforcement. We’ve got to back the NYPD. We have to back all of our federal, state and local officers around this country.”
Wilson, meanwhile, noted that slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley’s killer had been arrested in New York City and was released under the sanctuary policies there.
“Obviously, here in South Carolina, we have excellent relationships, but it’s also important that we support them in other states,” Wilson told Fox News Digital. “Obviously, we all remember Laken Riley, a young woman in Georgia who was murdered. That individual had been arrested and released in New York state and then came to Georgia and committed that crime. So it affects us all when other states don’t step up and are able to enforce the laws, it could have impacts on law enforcement in other states as well.”
Bondi highlighted one letter she sent to California Gov. Gavin Newsom in which she warned that “individuals operating under the color of law, using their official position to obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts and facilitating or inducing illegal immigration may be subject to criminal charges.”
The letter, which was shared on social media, said cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including on immigration enforcement, “is vital to enforce federal law and protect national security.”
“Under President Trump’s leadership, full cooperation by state and local governments in immigration enforcement efforts is a top priority,” Bondi wrote, saying Trump directed her to “identify sanctuary jurisdictions and notify them of their unlawful sanctuary status and potential violations of federal law.”
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In Greenville on Thursday, Bondi pointed to South Carolina as a model of federal, state and local law enforcement “working hand in hand.” Thanking Wilson for advocating for increased partnerships with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Marshals, Bondi told Fox News Digital a member of the Sinaloa Cartel was recently busted after “massive amounts” of cocaine were seized in Myrtle Beach.
Wilson credited such strong cooperation to law enforcement recently being able to make the largest fentanyl seizure in South Carolina’s history. Last month, DEA agents, Lexington County Sheriff’s deputies, and South Carolina State Transport Police made two coordinated traffic stops in two South Carolina counties, resulting in 156 pounds of fentanyl being seized. Two brothers from California were arrested and indicted in connection with the case.
The Justice Department said that seized fentanyl had the potential to kill 36 million people and a street retail value of $1.7 million.
In her letter to Newsom, Bondi said Trump also directed federal agencies to evaluate their authority to issue grants, contracts and federal funds “to determine where immigration-related terms and conditions may be added to combat sanctuary policies.” Noting that Congress has “codified the duty of states and local governments to cooperate in immigration enforcement efforts,” the letter said Bondi ordered investigations to identify “any such potential unlawful conduct.”
Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Bondi’s letter comes roughly a week after the DOJ identified nearly three dozen cities, states and counties across the country that it said were sanctuaries for illegal immigrants.
Bondi said in a statement at the time that the cities and states, which mostly lean blue, have immigration policies that “impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design.”
“The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country,” Bondi said.
Four of the states on the DOJ’s list – California, New York, Colorado and Illinois – have already faced lawsuits over their immigration policies. Others on the list include Delaware, Nevada, Minnesota and D.C.
The lawsuit in Illinois is the furthest along in the court process and has not played out in DOJ’s favor at this stage. A federal judge tossed out the Justice Department’s claims, saying Illinois’ state and local policies were protected by the Constitution and that the DOJ’s lawsuit encroached on Illinois’ sovereignty. The DOJ could still appeal the decision or amend its complaint.
Fox News’ Ashley Oliver contributed to this report
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