DOJ orders probe into local efforts, including in NYC, to block immigration enforcement

The Justice Department is directing federal prosecutors to investigate state or local officials obstructing President Donald Trump's deportation plans, including those in New York, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The memo, written by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, instructs the Justice Department’s civil division to identify state and local laws that hinder immigration initiatives and potentially challenge them in court.

SKIP TO: Trump's refugee plan

This comes as NYC Mayor Eric Adams says the city is already in communication with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE). 

What's in the memo?

What we know:

The three-page memo directs prosecutors to be on the front lines of an administration-wide effort to crack down on illegal immigration and border crime, carrying out the policy vision regarding violent crimes, the threat of transnational gangs, and drug trafficking.

Crimes

Migrants-crossing-the-border.jpg

Asylum-seeking migrants wait to be processed by the U.S. Border Patrol after crossing the nearby border with Mexico near the Jacumba Hot Springs on December 18, 2023 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)

The memo also says the department will return to the principle of charging defendants with the most serious crime it can prove, a staple position of Republican-led departments meant to remove a prosecutor’s discretion to charge a lower-level offense.

"The most serious charges are those punishable by death where applicable, and offenses with the most significant mandatory minimum sentences," Bove wrote.

Trump's refugee plan

On Monday, Trump's administration also canceled travel for refugees already approved to resettle in the U.S. Refugees with pre-approved plans before the Jan. 27 deadline lost their travel clearance. 

Thousands of refugees are now stranded worldwide. Trump signed the executive order suspending their travel.

Over 1,600 Afghans approved for U.S. resettlement after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan are among those affected.

Who is considered to be a refugee?

Refugees are distinct from people who come directly to the U.S.-Mexico border with the goal of eventually seeking asylum in the U.S. Refugees must be living outside of the U.S. to be considered for resettlement and are usually referred to the State Department by the United Nations.

Deportation in NYC: Adams says he's already working with ICE

Migrants line up outside a migrant re-ticketing center at St. Brigid School on E. 7th St. Friday, Jan. 5, 2024 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams for New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

In Chicago, the weekend marked the beginning of the first round of immigration raids, according to several news outlets. 

NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who attended Trump's inauguration on Monday, has stated that he would not assist the federal government with deportations. However, in a press conference Tuesday, Adams said that he was already in conversations with ICE. 

"We already have task forces with our federal partner," Adams said. 

"People who commit violent crimes must be held accountable," Adams said, emphasizing his discussions with ICE. "We should be sending a strong message about consequences for those who break the law," he added. 

Adams also noted that immigration policy is ultimately the responsibility of the federal government.

Is this strange? 

The backstory:

Typically, a new administration leads the Justice Department to shift enforcement priorities to align with the White House's policy goals.

For weeks, asylum seekers, DACA recipients, and undocumented immigrants have been bracing for what changes President Trump's policies will bring.

In the first few hours on the job, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to seek the end of birthright citizenship and declared a national emergency at the U.S. border with Mexico, a move that could have significant implications for New York City, where there are reportedly 51,000 migrants receiving city shelter services. 

NYC Migrants