Ice Threatens Sanctuary City Mayors If They Do Not Comply With Subpoenas

Denver and New York City officials are on thin ice with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement this week as a result of their widely publicized unwillingness to comply with federal immigration law.

According to the Washington Examiner, acting ICE Director Matt Albence told reporters Thursday in Washington that local officials who refuse to cooperate, releasing criminal illegal immigrants back into the population rather than handing them or their personal information over to the agency, should be prepared to “show up to court with a toothbrush.”

The agency is now willing to use its full authority under the U.S. legal code to prevent so-called “sanctuary city” policies from hindering immigration enforcement, even if that means having the officials responsible for those policies jailed.

“We expect them to comply” with subpoenas, Albence said. “If they don’t comply, we’ll be working with [the Department of Justice] to go to district court to force them to comply with the requirements.”

“The individuals that fail to comply can be held in contempt,” Albence continued. “They can show up to court with a toothbrush because they might not be going home that night. Because they could be jailed for failure to comply with a lawful order from a judge.”

“That’s the route we’re going,” the ICE chief added.

Viral footage shows DoorDash driver allegedly pepper-spraying customer’s food order during delivery

Trump announces pardon for Colorado clerk: ‘Simply wanted to make sure that our elections were fair’

Trump administration offers $5M reward for capture of fugitive Los Choneros gang leader

New Hampshire 6-year-old tests positive for cocaine, cannabis; mother faces multiple charges

Why 2026 Is Shaping Up to Have the Best Economy Since the Reagan Years

Trump signs executive order limiting state regulation of AI

Wisconsin judge in Trump fake electors case accused of not writing his own ruling

Watch: Leftist Says He ‘Deserves to Be Robbed’ for Being White, Regrets It Seconds Later

Gavin Newsom Accused of ‘Inciting More Violence’ with AI Trump Administration Video

Socialist Paradise: Man With Downs Syndrome Was Starved to Death as Entire Hospital Staff Watched Without Lifting a Finger

Top 5 moments: Noem clashes with Dems in fiery hearing as drones, deportations erupt into flashpoints

Alleged Jan. 6 pipe bomber’s detention hearing delayed until end of month

See the Biden-era ‘DEI’ coins Bessent scrapped as Trump team restores patriotic 250th designs

Video: Charlie Kirk Assassination Suspect Tyler Robinson Smiles and Laughs as He Makes First Court Appearance

13 House Republicans Side with Democrats, Vote to Overturn Trump Executive Order

Going to court, however, is not ICE’s preferred route. Instead, Albence told reporters, it is a “last resort.”

“Hopefully, when some of these other jurisdictions that don’t want to cooperate see that we’re taking this seriously, maybe they’ll come around and try to help us help their own communities,” he said.

Under President Donald Trump, the agency has repeatedly sought cooperation with sanctuary cities, counties and states, reaching out when illegal immigrants are arrested for crimes and requesting that the alleged perpetrators be held until they can be transferred into ICE custody for federal processing.

This decades-old process has been ignored and undermined nationwide.

In locations that endorse such policies, compliance with ICE is no longer the norm.

And there have been numerous cases of alleged criminal immigrants being released back into the general public following arraignment or a decision not to prosecute, as is typical in many criminal cases involving U.S. citizens.

In such cases, federal subpoenas requiring local officials to hand over the personal information regarding the alleged perpetrators is ICE’s last best hope of investigating and apprehending the illegal immigrant in question.