Pam Bondi Orders DOJ to Halt All Funding for Sanctuary Cities

Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Committee on Judiciary on Capitol Hill on Jan. 15, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Feb. 5 ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pause all funds to so-called sanctuary cities, or jurisdictions that work to protect illegal immigrants from arrest.

“The Department of Justice will ensure that, consistent with law, ’sanctuary jurisdictions’ do not receive access to Federal funds from the Department,” Bondi wrote in a memorandum to all DOJ employees. “Consistent with applicable statutes, regulations, court orders, and terms, the Department of Justice shall pause the distribution of all funds until a review has been completed, terminate any agreements that are in violation of law or are the source of waste, fraud, or abuse, and initiate clawback or recoupment procedures, where appropriate.”

It’s not clear how long the review will take.

During his first term, President Donald Trump blocked funding to sanctuary cities through an executive order. The courts concluded that the order was not constitutional due to the separation of powers.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up appeals in the cases.

A federal law, U.S. Code 1373, states that state and local government entities and officials may not prohibit or restrict agencies or officials from sending or receiving an individual’s citizenship or immigration status. Some jurisdictions, though, have refused in recent years to provide information to or otherwise cooperate with federal immigration officers.

DOJ grants should not go to jurisdictions that “unlawfully interfere with federal law enforcement operations,” Bondi said in the memo. She stated that the DOJ would, moving forward, require any jurisdiction that applies for certain grants to comply with section 1373.

Bondi also ordered the DOJ to investigate incidents involving obstruction of federal immigration operations and to bring charges if there were violations of the law.

Laura Powell, a civil liberties attorney based in California, wrote on social media platform X that she has not found any precedent for such prosecutions and is not sure whether they would be upheld in court.

Bondi directed officials to identify grants that go to organizations that provide services to illegal immigrants and to pause the distribution of funds under the grants for 60 days while officials reviewed whether prior funds were provided in accordance with the law and promoted violations of immigration laws.

Depending on the results of the review, some of the grants may be terminated.

Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) welcomed the memo from Bondi, who was sworn in earlier on Feb. 5.

“If you aren’t going to follow federal immigration law, you shouldn’t receive federal funds,” Tiffany said on X. “It’s that simple.”

Upcoming Hearings

The mayors of several cities with policies that restrict local authorities from cooperating with federal immigration officers are set to testify at an upcoming congressional hearing in Washington.

The mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York City will attend the March 5 hearing, which the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee will hold, according to its chairman, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.).

“Sanctuary mayors have prioritized criminal illegal aliens over the American people,” Comer wrote on X. “They owe Americans an explanation for their policies that jeopardize public safety and violate federal immigration law by releasing dangerous criminal illegal aliens back onto the streets.”

A spokesperson for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell told news outlets in a statement that the city and its employees follow federal and state law, that immigration enforcement is solely the domain of the federal government, and that the city “does not interfere with, nor carry out, the federal government’s duties.”

Washington state law puts limits on police officers helping federal authorities with immigration enforcement, while a Seattle code provision prevents officers from inquiring about a person’s immigration status.

“This ‘don’t ask’ policy allows our police department to build strong relationships within immigrant and refugee communities, which makes them safer,” Seattle’s website states.

Other Orders

Bondi issued multiple other memos on Feb. 5.

One stated that DOJ employees who refuse to follow orders, such as orders to defend federal government policies in court, could be fired.

She said that DOJ attorneys cannot “substitute personal political views or judgments for those that prevailed in the election.”

Another ordered a review of the prosecutions of both Trump and the people who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. That order established what Bondi called a Weaponization Working Group to review the prosecutions.

The group will review actions taken during the previous administration that appear to have been “designed to achieve political objectives or other improper aims rather than pursuing justice or legitimate governmental objectives,” Bondi wrote.