Attorney General Pamela Bondi speaks during a DOJ and DEA Joint announcement on actions to combat drug cartels and drug trafficking under the Justice Department's Operation Take Back America Initiative at the DEA Headquarters on July 15, 2025 in Arlington, VA. (Craig Hudson For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
"Gangs like MS-13 and 18th Street like to set up shop in these areas, so they can recruit, extort, and intimidate the population. Any city that tolerates illegal immigration is going to have a problem with criminal aliens who know they will be shielded from immigration enforcement," Vaughan added.
This week, Attorney General Pam Bondi scrapped sanctuary policies from the department as part of a move that would override city laws on the matter.
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Earlier today, DC Police Chief Pamela Smith issued an order permitting some cooperation with federal immigration authorities, but stopped short of allowing cooperation for the sole purpose of immigration enforcement.
Residents surround federal and Border Patrol agents who plan their escape after an immigrant raid on Atlantic Blvd. in Bell, Califonia on June 19, 2025. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
"Under President Trump and [Homeland Security] Secretary [Kristi] Noem’s leadership, ICE law enforcement is being unleashed to keep America safe from dangerous criminals. As the secretary has announced, ICE and CBP have been deployed to help clean up the streets of our nation’s capital," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated.
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"Our message is clear: Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States," the spokesperson added.
Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.
Cameron Arcand is a politics writer at Fox News Digital in Washington D.C. Story tips can be sent to Cameron.Arcand@Fox.com and on Twitter: @cameron_arcand
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/expert-predicts-significant-portion-dc-arrests-illegal-immigrants