AG Pam Bondi on Federal Law Enforcement Authority and Unaccompanied Children

Federal Law Enforcement Authority

• 🎯 Federal law enforcement agents are authorized to enforce federal law in cities like Chicago.
• ⚖️ The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land, and federal law applies nationwide.
• ⚠️ Governors or mayors cannot legally deny or prevent federal agents from enforcing federal law.

Challenges in High-Crime Cities

• 🏙️ Chicago experienced 571 homicides last year, with federal officials being sent to help protect residents.
• 🚫 The absence of local cooperation with law enforcement in cities like Chicago can turn them into safe havens for criminal organizations.
• 🤝 In contrast, Washington D.C. has seen a positive partnership between local and federal law enforcement, leading to reduced crime rates.

Unaccompanied Children and Exploitation

• 💔 The Biden administration's open border policies have led to approximately 500,000 unaccompanied children being placed with largely unvetted sponsors.
• 🚨 Many sponsors exploit and abuse these children, with law enforcement working to find and arrest them.
• 🔍 The Department of Justice under the Trump administration located 22,000 of these children, with ongoing efforts to protect them.

Government Shutdown and Law Enforcement Pay

• 📉 Six out of 10 Americans live paycheck to paycheck, including many federal employees.
• 🚫 Democratic colleagues voted to shut down the government, causing federal law enforcement and employees to work without pay while risking their lives.
• ✅ Attorney General Bondi expressed gratitude for Senator Cornyn highlighting this issue and for his concern for these individuals.