WASHINGTON, DC — In support of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on Monday, the Department of Justice directed prosecutors to investigate state and local officials who obstruct federal enforcement actions related to immigration law. A memo from the acting deputy attorney general also creates a “Sanctuary Cities Enforcement Working Group” to focus on these threatened obstruction issues.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a memo (attached below) to all Department of Justice employees outlining priorities for immigration enforcement in response to President Trump’s executive orders signed on Monday. Section one of the memo details priorities for enforcement actions. Section two calls for “Faithful Execution of Immigration Law.”
Many so-called sanctuary jurisdictions across the country pledged resistance against President Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportation of migrants. A prime example was Denver’s Democrat Mayor Mike Johnston, who pledged to “keep out” federal immigration law enforcement officers, Breitbart News’ Warner Todd Huston reported in November, shortly after President Trump’s election.
“More than us having [Denver police] stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there,” Mayor Johnston proclaimed. He likened his call for resistance to a “Tiananmen Square moment.”
The mayor’s threat continues as Johnston said, “More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there. You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants. You don’t want to mess with them.”
Deputy AG Bove wrote on Wednesday, “The Supremacy Clause and other authorities require state and local actors to comply with the Executive Branch’s immigration enforcement initiatives. Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests.”
The memo goes on to order U.S. Attorney’s Offices and litigating components of the Department of Justice to investigate incidents of misconduct “for potential prosecution.”
The deputy AG also established a Sanctuary Cities Enforcement Working Group to identify state and local policies and activities that are “inconsistent with Executive Branch immigration initiatives.” The order directs litigators to take legal action to challenge such laws.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.