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Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered the Justice Department to pause funding for jurisdictions that interfere with immigration enforcement. She issued the directive Wednesday, shortly after being sworn in as the nation’s top law enforcement officer.

So-called “sanctuary cities” limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, for example, by refusing to honor detention requests for illegal aliens. Bondi, in the memo that ordered the funding freeze, said that federal law prohibits such non-compliance. Critics of sanctuary cities say they undermine the rule of law and serve as a magnet for illegal aliens.

Bondi also directed the Department of Justice to halt funding for non-governmental organizations that provide services to illegal aliens.

On Thursday, the Justice Department sued Chicago and Illinois over their sanctuary laws, accusing state and local officials of “thwarting” federal immigration law. In a statement the governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, denied the accusation.