Officials in California, along with dozens of others across the country, received letters this week from Stephen Miller’s nonprofit firm, America First Legal, warning them of the consequences of interfering with or hindering immigration enforcement.
Miller has been nominated as Donald Trump’s Vice President for Policy. In a written statement, the nonprofit said it sent 249 letters to elected officials in states and cities with sanctuary policies.
Officials who received the letters include Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell, San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas and California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, among others.
These letters, all dated December 23, state that people living in the country illegally may be removed and it is a crime to hide, harbor or protect them.
“As Attorney General, on December 4, 2024, you stated that the State of California will not enforce federal immigration laws, which promote contempt throughout California,” the letter to Bonta reads. “… This speech shows the State’s intention to clearly violate federal law. Such lawlessness puts you and your subordinates at great risk of criminal and civil liability. Accordingly, we are sending this letter to alert you to this danger and insist that you comply with the laws of our country.”
“The fact of the matter is that you and the other officials who support or enforce the laws, policies, and ordinances of the sanctuary are personally involved in the matter – you can all face criminal prosecution and civil liability for your illegal actions,” the letter said. it concludes.
The notices come as Trump’s incoming “border governor,” Tom Homan, former acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, suggested. Fox News that city officials who do not help the administration evict people living in the country illegally can face criminal charges.
“If you intentionally hide from the police or shelter the police, it is a crime,” he said. “Obstructing a government law enforcement officer is a crime, so don’t cross that line. We are strong [attorney general] I’m coming in, Pam Bondi, and we’re going to present these cases, so you know, don’t test us.”
Bonta issued a statement on Friday, calling the threats “an intimidation tactic, plain and simple.”
The statement goes on to say that California lawmakers adopted Senate bill 54 in 2017 to ensure that no state and local resources are used to assist with federal immigration enforcement.
“While we cannot comment on the specifics of this letter, we want to be clear: SB 54 was upheld by the courts during the Trump administration, and it prohibits the use of state and local resources to obtain federal immigration in certain limited ways. outside,” said the statement. “SB 54 does nothing, however, to prevent federal agencies from enforcing immigration laws. California will continue to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, and we expect all law enforcement agencies to do the same.”
Zachary Seidl, a spokesman for Bass, said the letter was “not good for public safety and not good for the law.”
“We will always do things in a way that benefits the people of Los Angeles,” said Seidl.
Bass expressed support for the “sanctuary city” law recently passed by the LA City Council that prohibits city employees and utilities from participating in state immigration enforcement.
The law does not prevent the federal government from carrying out mass deportations of people in the city, but it is intended to show that City Hall stands with Los Angeles’ many immigrants.
Nora Vargas, chairwoman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who recently announced she will not seek a second term, said the board’s recently adopted policy to limit the use of county resources to enforce immigration law was established “through a careful legislative review to ensure full compliance with federal law.”
“We will not allow local resources to be used for actions that tear families apart, undermine public trust, or divert critical resources from solving our most pressing challenges,” Vargas wrote in a statement to The Times. “Immigration law is a federal responsibility, and our state cannot be an instrument of policies that harm our citizens.”
Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.
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