Upon being sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the White House on February 5, 2025, Pam Bondi, a loyal Trump associate and previous Florida attorney general, quickly implemented significant changes at the Department of Justice.
At 59, Bondi, who was confirmed by the Senate on February 4 with a 54-46 vote, started issuing directives by 2:00 p.m., marking the most forceful first-day agenda of any recent attorney general. Her chief order paused federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions, which restrict cooperation with immigration authorities.
As stated in Bondi’s initial memo, “The Department of Justice will ensure that consistent with law, ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ do not receive access to Federal funds from the Department. Consistent with applicable statutes, regulations, court orders, and terms, the Department of Justice shall pause the distribution of all funds until a review has been completed.”
The directive targeting sanctuary cities affects major metropolitan regions including New York City, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., California, and Connecticut. These jurisdictions anticipate substantial federal funding for the fiscal year 2025, with New York City alone expecting $8 billion. To unfreeze the funds, jurisdictions must demonstrate compliance with federal immigration enforcement by March 22.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) expressed strong approval of the move, stating, “The idea that you would maintain a sanctuary city status and then cry out to the federal government for assistance in what you’ve done is, to me, unconscionable.”
Bondi’s bond with Trump goes back several years, including her participation in his first impeachment defense in 2020, where she argued that his Ukraine communications weren’t impeachable offenses. She was later a key legal advisor and played a pivotal role in his 2016 presidential transition team.
In her tenure as Florida’s attorney general (2011-2019), Bondi contested the legality of the Affordable Care Act before the Supreme Court and was against the legalization of same-sex marriage. She concentrated her efforts on combating pill mills and synthetic drug operations, alongside pursuing consumer protection cases.
By 5:00 p.m. on her inaugural day as U.S. Attorney General, Bondi had released 14 directives, including the formation of a “Weaponization Working Group” to examine federal investigations since 2021. This group will look into cases related to the January 6th Capitol attack and Trump prosecutions, aiming to identify potentially politically motivated instances.
Bondi overturned several Biden administration policies, including lifting the ban on federal executions and instructing prosecutors to seek death penalty cases where appropriate. She also established a joint task force to handle cases related to Hamas and antisemitism, and directed DOJ attorneys to “zealously defend” administration positions or risk disciplinary action.
The decision to halt funding to sanctuary jurisdictions mirrors Trump’s prior efforts to withhold federal assistance from cities he perceived as being too soft on crime, such as New York City, New York, Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. This policy was reversed by President Biden in 2021. Leaders of current sanctuary cities warn that this directive could interrupt vital services and public safety programs.
