Donald Trump’s latest attempt to strong-arm states into enforcing his hardline immigration agenda landed with a thud in Rhode Island, and state leaders aren’t blinking.
This week, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent Gov. Dan McKee a letter declaring Rhode Island a so-called “sanctuary jurisdiction” and demanding the state abandon policies that Trump officials claim are thwarting federal immigration enforcement. The letter warned that Rhode Island could lose federal funding and that officials could face criminal charges if they didn’t comply.
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The Trump administration threatened Rhode Island with funding cuts and criminal charges over its sanctuary policies, but state leaders dismissed the move as empty bullying.
Rhode Island officials emphasized that they already comply with federal law while refusing to divert state resources to enforce civil immigration laws for ICE.
Legal precedent from a 2014 federal court ruling protects Rhode Island from holding people solely on ICE detainers, strengthening the state’s stance against Trump’s threats.
The response from Rhode Island? Laughter.
Attorney General Peter Neronha dismissed the letter as nothing more than the tactic of a bully, pointing out that federal law doesn’t require states to turn their local police into ICE deputies. “The only way to deal with a bully is to let them know that they’re not going to intimidate you,” Neronha said. “If the Trump administration takes issue with this, then the doors of federal court are open to them.”
Governor McKee was just as blunt, calling Bondi’s threat a “generic, non-specific form letter” that didn’t even merit a response.
Rhode Island has long-standing precedent on its side. A 2014 federal court ruling barred state officials from detaining people solely on ICE requests without a warrant or court order. That decision has guided state policy ever since, a policy rooted in constitutional rights, not political theater.
Trump’s threat may play well with his base, but in Rhode Island, it’s seen for what it is: bluster.
State leaders say they’ll continue following the law, not bending to the intimidation tactics of a President desperate to project strength.
Rhode Island’s message back to Trump was clear: if you want a fight, see us in court. Until then, we’ll be laughing.