Hundreds of city and county leaders across the U.S. have begun receiving letters from incoming Trump administration officials threatening legal consequences for their policies on immigration. The letters, which were sent to numerous officials in California, warn they could be held civilly and “criminally” liable for supporting sanctuary city policies.
The letters were sent by America First Legal (AFL), which is run by Donald Trump’s soon-to-be deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller. Recipients include former San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas, who resigned last month, as well as California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
AFL confirmed it sent the letters to 249 elected officials last month. According to AFL, sanctuary policies violate anti-racketeering laws, criminal conspiracy statutes, and the Immigration and Nationality Act.
“This is a scare tactic, plain and simple,” said Bonta. “While we are unable to comment on the specifics of the letter, we want to be clear: [California’s sanctuary law] SB 54 was upheld by the courts during the first Trump administration, and it prevents the use of state and local resources for federal immigration enforcement with certain narrow exceptions. SB 54 does nothing, however, to block federal agencies from conducting immigration enforcement themselves. California will continue to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, and we expect all local law enforcement agencies to do the same.”
NBC reports that the letters were also received by elected officials in Montgomery County and Prince George's County, Maryland as well as Washington, D.C. and the Virginia communities of Rockville, Hyattsville, and Alexandria.
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