The Trump administration has reversed course and agreed to keep Washington, D.C.'s police chief in his job.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a new memo, directed county police to cooperate with federal immigration agencies while ignoring any city laws.
The order comes after officials in the nation's capital filed a lawsuit Friday to prevent President Donald Trump from taking control of the city's police force.
The night before, his administration stepped up its intervention in local law enforcement by appointing a federal official to serve as emergency head of the department, effectively placing the police under full federal control.
The attorney general's new order represents a partial retreat by the Trump administration amid considerable skepticism from a judge about the legality of Ms. Bondi's previous directive, but she also signaled that the administration will continue to press D.C. leaders to help federal authorities aggressively pursue illegal immigrants, despite city laws limiting cooperation between police and immigration officials.
In a social media post Friday evening, Ms. Bondi criticized D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, saying he “continues to oppose our efforts to improve public safety,” but added: “We remain committed to working closely with Mayor Bowser.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office said Friday night that it was still learning how to implement Bondi’s new executive order on immigration enforcement operations. The police department has already relaxed some restrictions on cooperating with federal officials who support Trump’s mass deportation drive, but reiterated that it will follow the county’s sanctuary city laws.
In a letter sent to D.C. residents Friday night, Ms. Bowser wrote: “This week has been unsettling and unprecedented for our city. During the week, the dramatic increase in federal law enforcement presence throughout the District of Columbia has created a wave of anxiety.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
