An organization chaired by the far-right activist Stephen Miller, adviser to President Donald Trump, sent several letters, warning that 249 public officials and employees of sanctuary zones, such as those in California, could be prosecuted for interfering with the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
“Federal law is clear: illegal immigrants are subject to removal from the country, and it is a crime to hide, harbor, or protect them. Sanctuary policies are contrary to law, make a mockery of America’s democratic principles, and demonstrate an outrageous lack of respect for our Constitution and our citizens. Officials in charge of sanctuary jurisdictions have no excuse and must be held accountable,” said America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers.
The letters signed by the far-right organization America First Legal (AFL) Foundation are addressed to various public servants, including the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, and the San Diego County Supervisor, Nora Vargas, who recently resigned, arguing that she needed to protect her safety.
The message comes just weeks after the San Diego Board of Supervisors enacted a measure prohibiting local law enforcement from notifying immigration authorities about cases of undocumented individuals in local jails without a court order.
The new ordinance does not allow law enforcement officers to notify ICE about non-citizen inmates who are about to be released unless they have committed a serious crime.
Before the letter was released, California officials had already asked the Legislature for a budget of $25 million to spend on litigation costs with the Trump administration, including on immigration-related issues.
In turn, the AFL created a new interactive website called “Sanctuary Strongholds” (Sanctuary Fortresses) to provide detailed information about sanctuary jurisdictions across the country and contact information for elected officials who violate federal law.
/1🚨 BREAKING 🚨
AFL has launched a multi-pronged initiative to hold elected officials in sanctuary jurisdictions across the country accountable for violating federal immigration laws. pic.twitter.com/dDbN5VOGO8
— America First Legal (@America1stLegal) December 24, 2024
The Sanctuary Strongholds website claims to be designed to “help Americans identify those responsible for imposing and maintaining illegal sanctuary policies so that appropriate legal action can be taken to hold them accountable.”
America First Legal is a far-right, pro-Trump group led by his former adviser, Stephen Miller, who has filed lawsuits against companies, among others, that support LGBTQ+ rights, arguing that they discriminate against white men.
“America First Legal is the long-awaited response to the ACLU. We are committed to an unwavering defense of true equality under the law, national borders and sovereignty, freedom of speech and religion, classical values and virtues, the sanctity of life and the centrality of the family, and our timeless legal and constitutional legacy. Through tireless litigation and oversight, we will protect America first, last, and always,” Miller says on the AFL website.
Miller, who was appointed by Trump himself as deputy director of the White House Policy Staff, has a degree in political science but is not a lawyer.
You may be interested in: Colombian U.S. Congresswoman Proposes Executing Immigrants Who Commit Crimes Against Americans
