CA Cities And Leaders Get Threatening Letters From Trump Advisor

LOS ANGELES, CA —Santa Monica native and Donald Trump acolyte Stephen Miller rang in the holidays by sending threatening letters to California leaders warning them not to interfere with the Donald Trump administration's plans for mass deportations.

The letters dated Dec. 23 were reportedly sent via email to leaders such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas and California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell and 245 others nationwide. They were sent by Miller’s nonprofit, America First Legal. Miller, long an immigration hardliner, has been tapped to be Trump's deputy chief of policy.

In the letters, legal counsel for America First Legal singled out local and state leaders, accusing them of preparing to violate federal immigration law and threatening "criminal liability" and "consequences" for them and their "subordinates."

The letters warn that hundreds of thousands of people will be subject to deportation and that it is a crime to harbor them.

"We have identified Los Angeles as a sanctuary jurisdiction that is violating federal law," America First wrote to the LAPD chief. "In fact, as Los Angeles Chief of Police, you have clearly stated your support for the city to ignore federal law, stating on November 8, 2024 that the LAPD, 'will not cooperate with mass deportations,' thereby stating your intent to blatantly violate federal immigration law. Such lawlessness subjects you and your subordinates to significant risk of criminal and civil liability. Accordingly, we are sending this letter to put you on notice of this risk and insist that you comply with our nation’s laws."

In addition to singling out California officials, the letters cite local cases of high-profile crimes linked to undocumented immigrants such as Victor Antonio Martinez, an El Salvadorean native suspected of sexually assaulting a girl in her home in Los Angeles before killing influencer Rachel Morin in Maryland.

The letter contends that between 2021 and 2024, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested almost 20,000 illegal aliens in L.A., 7,255 of whom had prior criminal convictions.

It ends with a threat.

"The fact of the matter is that you and the other officials who support or enforce sanctuary laws policies, and regulations have a very personal stake in the matter – you each could face criminal prosecution and civil liability for your illegal acts."

Bonta, California's top prosecutor, dismissed the letter.

“This is a scare tactic, plain and simple,” he said in a written statement issued by his office Friday. “While we are unable to comment on the specifics of the letter, we want to be clear: SB 54 was upheld by the courts during the first Trump administration, and it prevents the use of state and local resources for federal immigration enforcement with certain narrow exceptions. SB 54 does nothing, however, to block federal agencies from conducting immigration enforcement themselves. California will continue to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, and we expect all local law enforcement agencies to do the same.”

Democratic state Senate leader Mike McGuire, of Healdsburg, told CalMatters the incoming administration’s proposed immigration policies are “draconian” and damaging to California’s economy.

“The previous Trump administration came at California before on a variety of legal fronts and the majority of the time, lost,” McGuire told CalMatters. “Mark my word, we’ll be prepared again.”