U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi addresses law enforcement in Greenville, as South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson looks on, on Aug. 14, 2025. (South Carolina Attorney General's Office)
After Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s primary win in June, the New York City Police Department reportedly saw retirement filings surge. Bondi, who criticized incumbent Mayor Eric Adams over the city’s sanctuary status in the past, told Fox News Digital on Thursday it’s crucial for officers’ safety for them to have strong leadership. Adams has cooperated with border czar Tom Homan on federal immigration enforcement.
"It starts at the top and our leaders have to support our law enforcement," Bondi told Fox News Digital. "They risk their lives every single day to keep us safe. There's no ordinary day in the life of a police officer nor for their families, because they leave the house every day, and they don't know what to expect. And our government, our leaders, have got to back them and that's got to happen in New York. We have got back our law enforcement. We've got to back the NYPD. We have to back all of our federal, state and local officers around this country."
Wilson, meanwhile, noted that slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley’s killer had been arrested in New York City and was released under the sanctuary policies there.
"Obviously, here in South Carolina, we have excellent relationships, but it's also important that we support them in other states," Wilson told Fox News Digital. "Obviously, we all remember Laken Riley, a young woman in Georgia who was murdered. That individual had been arrested and released in New York state and then came to Georgia and committed that crime. So it affects us all when other states don't step up and are able to enforce the laws, it could have impacts on law enforcement in other states as well."
Bondi highlighted one letter she sent to California Gov. Gavin Newsom in which she warned that "individuals operating under the color of law, using their official position to obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts and facilitating or inducing illegal immigration may be subject to criminal charges."
The letter, which was shared on social media, said cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including on immigration enforcement, "is vital to enforce federal law and protect national security."
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi meet with law enforcement leaders in Greenville, S.C., on Aug. 14, 2025. (South Carolina Attorney General's Office)
Newsom's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Bondi's letter comes roughly a week after the DOJ identified nearly three dozen cities, states and counties across the country that it said were sanctuaries for illegal immigrants.
Bondi said in a statement at the time that the cities and states, which mostly lean blue, have immigration policies that "impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design."
"The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country," Bondi said.
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Four of the states on the DOJ’s list – California, New York, Colorado and Illinois – have already faced lawsuits over their immigration policies. Others on the list include Delaware, Nevada, Minnesota and D.C.
The lawsuit in Illinois is the furthest along in the court process and has not played out in DOJ’s favor at this stage. A federal judge tossed out the Justice Department's claims, saying Illinois’ state and local policies were protected by the Constitution and that the DOJ’s lawsuit encroached on Illinois’ sovereignty. The DOJ could still appeal the decision or amend its complaint.
Fox News' Ashley Oliver contributed to this report
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bondi-puts-sanctuary-cities-nationwide-notice-after-dc-police-federal-takeover