(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Newly sworn-in Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered the DOJ to halt funding to sanctuary jurisdictions and non-governmental organizations that aid illegal immigrants.
In a three-page memo titled Sanctuary Jurisdiction Directives, Bondi signaled a zero-tolerance policy toward cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in removing violent criminal illegal aliens.
“Consistent with applicable statutes, regulations, court orders, and terms, the Department of Justice shall pause the distribution of all funds until a review has been completed, terminate any agreements that are in violation of law or are the source of waste, fraud, or abuse, and initiate clawback or recoupment procedures, where appropriate,” Bondi wrote.
The new attorney general stated that the pause would last for 60 days and clarified that it aligns with President Donald Trump’s priority to secure the border and enforce federal immigration law.
“Unlawful border crossings and illegal migration into the United States have reached record levels, resulting in a substantial and unacceptable threat to our national security and public safety,” Bondi said.
According to the New York Post, cities like New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., along with states like New York, California and Connecticut, are among those most likely to be impacted by the funding freeze.
Bondi’s memo also targeted non-government organizations receiving DOJ funding, ordering an immediate pause on future grants or contracts.
“Effective immediately, consistent with applicable law, the Department of Justice shall not enter into any new contract, grant, or other agreement to provide Federal funding to non-governmental organizations that support or provide services, either directly or indirectly (e.g., through sub-contracting or other arrangements), to removable or illegal aliens)” she added.
Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, was sworn in as Trump’s attorney general on Feb. 5.
Bondi’s memo comes at a critical time for so-called sanctuary cities. Under former President Joe Biden, these cities spent years complaining about the surge of illegal immigrants draining their resources. Yet, after Trump’s landslide victory in November 2024, they quickly reverted to their old talking points on immigration.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is among the Democrats who rebuked Biden’s open border policies but changed his tune after the election.
“Regardless of who is in the White House, Chicago is a city that opens its arms to people from around the globe,” Johnson said at a press conference in defense of Chicago’s sanctuary law in 2025.
“The Welcoming City Ordinance is a law, and it is the law of the land here in Chicago. We will uphold it, along with the complementary Illinois Trust Act to ensure that our immigrant communities are safe,” he added.
In contrast, Johnson sent a letter demanding federal intervention following the illegal alien surge in 2023.
“Without real, significant investment from our federal government, it won’t just be the city of Chicago that won’t be able to maintain this mission,” Johnson told CNN in 2023 in response to illegal immigration. “It’s the entire country that is now at stake.”
