U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi Warns Oregon Sanctuary Policies Could Violate Immigration Laws
Oregon is reeling after the most recent development to ‘eradicate sanctuary policies’ by the U.S. Attorney General, Pamela Bondi.
Posting on X, Bondi states that ‘any sanctuary jurisdiction that continues to put illegal aliens ahead of American citizens can either come to the table or see us in court.’
Bondi’s Department of Justice delivered letters of demand to sanctuary cities, counties, and states, like Oregon, in what she describes as a ‘key step in our strategic effort to eradicate sanctuary policies from California to New York.’
Governor Says Oregon Will Not Be Bullied and Vows To Fight For the Safety of Its Residents
This move was immediately attacked by Oregon Governor, Tina Kotek, who told a local TV news agency that Oregon ‘will not be bullied into doing the federal government’s job of immigration enforcement.’
Kotek has vowed to fight for the ‘safety and prosperity of every Oregonian, from recent immigrants to people who have been here for generations,’ adding that Bondi’s threats undermined the values and rights of every state to government itself.
Sanctuary states were dealt another blow in late June when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executive orders cannot be granted nationwide by individual judges.
Oregon’s Attorney General, Dan Rayfield, has successfully won several lawsuits, in collaboration with other states, to prevent the Trump administration from implementing executive orders.
The Supreme Court ruling includes an injunction against the Trump administration’s attempt to eliminate birthright citizenship in the U.S. While the justices did not make a ruling on the executive order, they did stop it from becoming effective for 30 days.
This week, the Oregon Governor and Portland Mayor, Keith Wilson, received correspondence from Bondi in which she warned them that the sanctuary policies in the state and in the City of Portland could be a violation of federal immigration law.
Bondi’s post on X states that the letters sent to sanctuary states, counties, and cities threaten legal action – ‘we’re going to come after you’ – and withholding federal funds.
The letters were sent to the mayors of 32 states and to multiple governors.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice released a list of the 12 states, four counties, and 18 cities identified as sanctuary jurisdictions that have policies impeding the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
Bondi’s letter warns that states and local officials who use their status to block operations by federal immigration agents could be subject to criminal charges.
Oregon has been a sanctuary state since 1987, and Portland declared itself a sanctuary city in 2017.