Democrat sanctuary leaders defy Trump admin ultimatum: ‘No intention of changing’

Jurisdictions of shrines stay difficult after the American Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi has issued a deadline to cooperate with federal authorities by this week. States corresponding to Washington say that they “don’t intend to vary our values into the sunshine of threats of the Trump authorities.”

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, shared a letter he despatched to Bondi on X, through which he wrote: “You can be notified that the State Washington isn’t being bullied or intimidated by threats and legally unfounded accusations.”

In his reply to Bondi, Ferguson wrote that “our state legislator has adopted a two-part regulation that’s applicable and legally restricted to the enforcement of federal immigration.” He additionally tore personally in Bondi and wrote that her “risk to prosecute state officers, embarrasses the workplace and disgrace.”

“Washington State is proud to be a hospitable group that appreciates the contributions of immigrants and refugees to our economic system and our cultural tissue. We do that whereas we take this under consideration and adjust to the relevant federal regulation,” he claimed.

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Throughout a press convention, the American Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi speaks on the headquarters of the DEA July 15, 2025 in Arlington, VA. (Alex Wong/Getty photos)

“You appear to imagine that Cavalier threatening prison prosecution will trigger me to hazard the values of my state. By no means,” he added. “I’m prepared to defend Washington in opposition to a lawsuit that you just wish to pursue. When you select to problem me and my state, you have to be suggested that we’ll beat you and search all appropriate prices and reimbursements.”

In one other X -post Ferguson wrote: “Washington State doesn’t intend to vary our values into the sunshine of the Trump authorities threats.”

Bondi introduced on Thursday that she had despatched letters with jurisdictions of shrines that had given nationwide jurisdicts for every week to adjust to the federal immigration legal guidelines or the face of the Ministry of Justice Motion. About Fox Enterprise, Bondi stated that she despatched letters to 32 mayors and 7 governors, “they are saying that you’re higher happy or you’re the subsequent.”

Bondi emphasised a letter that she went to California Gov. Gavin Newsom despatched, through which she warned that “individuals working below the colour of the regulation used their official place to hinder federal immigration enforcement efforts and facilitating or inducing unlawful immigration may be topic to prison expenses.”

The letter, shared on social media, stated cooperation between federal, nationwide and native regulation enforcement businesses, together with about immigration enforcement, “is of significant significance to keep up federal regulation and to guard nationwide safety.”

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom offers a speech about redistribution. (Reuters/Mike Blake)

“Beneath the management of President Trump, full cooperation by nationwide and native governments in immigration enforcement efforts is a prime precedence,” Bondi wrote, Trump stated his project to establish “jurisdictions of shrines and to tell them of their unlawful sanctuary and doable violations of federal regulation.”

A number of different jurisdictions of the sanctuary by democratic managed jurisdiction have accepted a difficult tone of their response to Bondi’s letter.

Mayor of Boston Michelle Wu, a Democrat, held a uncooked press convention on Tuesday and dared Bondi to comply with her letter.

“Cease attacking our cities to cover the failures of your administration,” stated Wu. “In distinction to the Trump authorities, Boston follows the regulation. … You might be unsuitable with the regulation and you might be unsuitable with security.

“The cities that stay in your thoughts are fully unusual to the residents who stay in our cities,” she contracts. “And we choose up the items of your errors to seek out out your guarantees.” She additionally accused the Trump administration of accelerating the prices for People.

Newsom, who reportedly had presidential ambitions, known as Bondi’s letter “one other try by the federal authorities to place strain on states to bend their knee and settle for their authoritarian ways.”

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Mayor Michelle Wu van Boston speaks at a press convention with the town’s reply to the necessities of the American legal professional -general Pam Bondi that Boston works with federal mass deposits. (Getty Photographs/Lane Turner)

The Newsom workplace shared a letter with FOX Information Digital despatched by the authorized secretary of the Governor, David Sapp, to Bondi who pointed to a 2019 ruling by the ninth Circuithof [Tenth Amendment’s] Anti -commanding rule, to desert federal efforts. ”

SAPP claimed that it’s threatening to pursue prosecutions in California “would flood the rule of regulation, however would most likely be malignant persecution.”

In one other clarification that was shared with Fox Information Digital, Newsom stated: “The courts have confirmed the validity of the legal guidelines of California time and time once more” and “we is not going to be bullied to resolve our sovereignty.”

The chief of the northern neighbor of California, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, was simply as difficult and stated on X: “I’ll combat for the protection and prosperity of each oregonian, from latest immigrants to individuals who have been right here for generations.”

Kotek’s workplace shared her reply letter to Bondi, which was despatched on Tuesday, through which she stated that she “disagrees respectfully” with Bondi’s claims that Oregon Regulation transfers “federal immigration enforcement.”

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul shot again in opposition to Bondi and accused her of believing that “states are simply vassals of the federal authorities.” (Alex Kent/Getty photos)

“There isn’t a oregel public official or regulation enforcement officer concerned in any exercise to ‘hinder’ federal immigration efforts,” she claimed. “That’s the reason no ‘quick initiatives’ are wanted to remove legal guidelines.”

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Regardless of the pushback, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice advised Fox Information that the company is now negotiating with a number of areas of regulation to place an finish to the coverage of the sanctuary.

A DOJ spokesperson pointed Fox Information Digital to totally different lawsuits that the company has already filed in opposition to Los Angeles, New York State, Colorado, Illinois and varied different cities.

The workplace of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul shared a letter that she despatched Bondi on Tuesday, through which the governor accused the legal professional common of believing that “states are simply vassals of the federal authorities.”

Hochul wrote that “these disputes are proper for the courts for answer” and that “within the meantime my constitutional responsibility will proceed to keep up to make sure that New York’s legal guidelines are applied.”

Fox Information Digital additionally reached for the workplaces of Ferguson, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, however acquired no statements in response to the time of publication.

Charles Creitz of Fox Information Digital, Danielle Wallace and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.