Memorandum dated January 21, 2025.
This memo directs the DOJ to use all of its law enforcement components including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for immigration-related related arrests and prosecutions.
The memo also threatens jurisdictions with sanctuary policies with a variety of legal attacks, including lawsuits against their policies and prosecutions for protecting immigrants. It also incorrectly states that state and local elected officials must comply with federal immigration enforcement initiatives. The US Supreme Court and other federal courts have already ruled that is untrue. See the National Immigration Project, Setting the Record Straight About Sanctuary Policies (Jan. 22, 2025).
Lastly, the memo also announces the creation of a special working group called “sanctuary cities enforcement working group” to track sanctuary policies and pursue lawsuits against them. For a breakdown of this memorandum and how it changed things at the DOJ, see Immigration Enforcement Takeover at the Department of Justice.