Columbia Standard

U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, along with fellow Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has addressed concerns to Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding the Department of Justice's (DOJ) recent reallocation of resources. The Senators are questioning the shift from essential DOJ projects to what they describe as "purported immigration enforcement initiatives."

The Justice Department recently issued a directive targeting "sanctuary cities," calling for increased immigration-related prosecutions and redirecting resources away from national security and public safety efforts. The Senators have requested that Attorney General Bondi rescind this directive.

In their communication, the Senators express concern over how these changes could undermine national security and public safety. They write: “We are alarmed at recent changes within the Department of Justice (DOJ) that have significantly destabilized the agency and made America less safe.” They further request a reversal of personnel decisions linked to these resource diversions.

The January 21 memo's broad directive is criticized for diverting resources from prosecuting violent crimes to pursuing cases against sanctuary jurisdictions. The Senators state: “We are deeply disturbed that the Department is redirecting resources from the prosecution of violent crimes to the pursuit of dubious claims against so-called ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions.”

Public reports indicate significant personnel shifts within DOJ, including senior officials being reassigned or removed, leading to resignations by veteran attorneys. Many have been moved to a newly established "Sanctuary City Enforcement Working Group," despite lacking experience in immigration law.

The letter outlines disruptions caused by reallocating resources away from fighting transnational-organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism towards immigration enforcement matters. It states: “The sweeping changes to personnel assignments and resource allocation across DOJ will lead to widespread disruption and delay in prosecutions, investigations, and sensitive operations.”

The Senators conclude by urging Attorney General Bondi to rescind the January 21 memo before making several information requests due by March 17. They emphasize that focusing extensively on immigration enforcement diverts crucial DOJ resources without effectively advancing immigration goals.

Besides Durbin, other signatories include U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono, Chris Coons, Richard Blumenthal, Amy Klobuchar, Adam Schiff, Sheldon Whitehouse, Cory Booker, Peter Welch, and Alex Padilla.

For further details or access to a PDF copy of the letter sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi, additional information is available.