Overview

• On Aug. 13, the Justice Department sent demand letters to 35 jurisdictions requiring compliance with federal immigration laws by Aug. 19 and simultaneously rescinded sanctuary status for Washington, D.C.
• The letters warn that federal agencies will evaluate their authority to withhold or condition grants, contracts and other funding to pressure jurisdictions into cooperation with ICE.
• Officials “operating under color of law” who obstruct federal immigration enforcement are explicitly threatened with criminal charges under the statutes cited in Bondi’s letters.
• Governors, mayors and state attorneys general in targeted areas—including Gavin Newsom, Dan McKee, Peter Neronha, William Tong and Michelle Wu—have dismissed the notices as generic overreach and vowed legal challenges.
• The enforcement campaign stems from President Trump’s April executive order and follows earlier DHS sanctuary lists and DOJ lawsuits, setting the stage for federalism disputes over funding conditions and local autonomy.