Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche fired off a letter to leftwing officials in California on Thursday, threatening to prosecute California politicians for harboring illegal aliens and obstructing law enforcement.
The letter demands preservation of “all written and electronic communications and records related to any attempts or efforts to impede or obstruct federal law enforcement officials.”
It further points to 8 US Code 1324, which lawless Democrat city and state leaders have repeatedly violated by harboring illegal aliens and impeding federal law enforcement.
Blanche threatened the politicians inciting violence against law enforcement during a round table press conference about Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) to combat foreign drug cartels and human trafficking. The initiatives in Trump’s January 20 “Protecting the American People Against Foreign Invasion” executive order led to the seizure of over 150,000 lbs of narcotics and the arrest of over 3,000 terrorist cartel members in recent months.
“If any one of our federal agents, our state or local agents working under the HSTF banner are even touched by any of these terrorists or rioters, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Blanche said.
“When politicians aid these terrorists by trying to give them comfort, or protection, or suggesting that somehow our men and women are doing the wrong thing, same problem.”
WATCH:
Blanche: The number that I think matters, the over 3000, 3266, terrorists have been taken off the streets in two months, and for each of those arrests, there’s anywhere from between four to 20 law enforcement agents, federal, state and local, executing those arrests, and that means every one of them are putting their lives on the line to make these arrests to make our communities safer. And so what I will say to them is thank you.
But also what I will say to them is that to the extent that there are politicians, as recently as today, suggesting they are doing something wrong— we have governors, district attorneys, mayors and even congresswomen suggesting that our federal law enforcement and the state and local law enforcement that are helping them are doing something wrong— that is disgusting and something that we will not tolerate. Every day, Attorney General Bondi and I talk with all of our partners, making sure that they know that if any one of our federal agents, our state or local agents working under the HSTF banner are even touched by any of these terrorists or rioters, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
When politicians aid these terrorists by trying to give them comfort, or protection, or suggesting that somehow our men and women are doing the wrong thing, same problem. We will not tolerate it, Mr. President. So thank you to all of our state and local men and women that are helping us and our federal law enforcement officers that are literally putting their lives on the line every single day. We will always protect you.
This comes as leftists riot in the streets and assault law enforcement for arresting illegal aliens. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, New York Congressman Dan Goldman, and others have suggested that ICE and Border Patrol agents are acting illegally and should be under investigation or arrested by local police, further inciting the violence.
President Trump responded to Dan Goldman on Thursday, calling him a “loser” and slamming the Democrats’ desperate attempts to stay relevant.
After the press conference, Blanche announced that he formally put politicians in California on notice with a preservation demand letter. His letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, US Representative Nancy Pelosi, and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, slams them for refusing to work with federal law enforcement and engaging in a “criminal conspiracy,”
“The Department of Justice views any arrests of federal agents and officers in the performance of their official duties as both illegal and futile. Numerous federal laws prohibit interfering with and impeding immigration or other law-enforcement operations,” he writes.
“The Department of Justice will investigate and prosecute any state or local official who violates these federal statutes (or directs or conspires with others to violate them). Accordingly, you are hereby directed to preserve all written and electronic communications and records related to any attempts or efforts to impede or obstruct federal law enforcement officials.”
California politicians want to arrest federal agents for enforcing federal law.
We just sent them a letter: Stand down or face prosecution.
No one threatens our agents. No one will stop us from Making America Safe Again.
California politicians want to arrest federal agents for enforcing federal law.
We just sent them a letter: Stand down or face prosecution.
No one threatens our agents. No one will stop us from Making America Safe Again. pic.twitter.com/xe0EK8QssO— Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) October 23, 2025
Blanche then called out Illinois Governor JB Pritzker by name, commenting, “Careful, @GovPritzker – this applies to you too. Federal law. Federal authority. Federal consequences.”
Careful, @GovPritzker – this applies to you too.
Federal law. Federal authority. Federal consequences. https://t.co/9o0eFcEuyP— Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) October 23, 2025
Acting US Attorney for the District of California Bill Essayli further confirmed that California politicians are on his radar.
“We will not tolerate threats to arrest federal agents engaged in enforcing immigration laws enacted by Congress. If you touch our agents, you’ll be arrested,” Essayli said.
A preservation demand was just issued by @TheJusticeDept to California elected officials. We will not tolerate threats to arrest federal agents engaged in enforcing immigration laws enacted by Congress. If you touch our agents, you’ll be arrested. https://t.co/TzIuTb5UuY
— Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) October 23, 2025
This is a developing story.