In a dramatic series of moves that have sent shockwaves through the nation’s capital and the corridors of the Justice Department, Attorney General Pam Bondi has rapidly reshaped federal law enforcement under President Donald Trump’s second term. Bondi’s aggressive actions—culminating in the federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s police department and the reversal of sanctuary city protections—have drawn both fierce criticism and fervent support, underscoring the deep political divides and the unprecedented nature of the current administration’s approach to justice.
On August 14, 2025, Bondi issued a sweeping two-page order that rescinded longstanding illegal immigration protections in Washington, D.C., directly targeting the city’s sanctuary policies. According to Fox News, Bondi’s order, titled “Restoring Safety and Security to the District of Columbia,” rolled back any directive that limited how Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers could interact with undocumented immigrants. In a surprising twist, she stripped power from MPD Chief Pamela Smith, appointing Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole as the department’s “emergency police commissioner.” Cole was granted all the powers and duties of the position, with existing MPD leadership now required to seek his approval before issuing any directives.
Bondi’s actions followed President Trump’s August 11 executive order declaring a crime emergency in D.C. and announcing a federal takeover of the city’s police. Since that announcement, federal law enforcement and National Guard troops have been a visible presence throughout the district. The crackdown’s reach was quickly felt: on the night of August 13, multiple agencies arrested 45 people, including 29 undocumented immigrants, as part of a major crime sweep, Fox News reported.
Bondi’s order explicitly stated, “Residents of the District of Columbia, the thousands of Americans who commute into the District for work every day, and the millions of tourists from all over the world who visit our nation’s capital have a right to feel safe and to be free from the scourge of violent crime.” She also rescinded previous MPD orders that had prohibited police from making inquiries solely to determine immigration status and had prevented arrests based only on federal immigration warrants. “To the extent that provisions in this order conflict with any existing MPD directives, those directives are hereby rescinded,” Bondi concluded.
The swift and sweeping changes in D.C. are only the latest chapter in what The New Yorker describes as the most convulsive transition of power in the Justice Department since Watergate. Pam Bondi, sworn in as the nation’s eighty-seventh Attorney General earlier this year, has approached her role with an energy and partisanship that has stunned even seasoned observers. Within days of taking office, Bondi made headlines by personally removing portraits of prior administration leaders from the Justice Department’s National Security Division, reportedly declaring, “Don’t you people realize who won the election?” Her chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, described the new era as “Season 2” of the Trump administration, saying, “The handcuffs are taken off. We actually get to do everything that the President wants us to do, everything that Pam wants us to do.”
Bondi’s Justice Department has vigorously defended the Trump agenda, including controversial actions like the deportation of migrants to Central American prisons and the elimination of birthright citizenship. She’s also been unflinching in her support for Trump’s sometimes unorthodox nominees, such as Alina Habba, a private lawyer with no prosecutorial experience, for U.S. Attorney in New Jersey. Bondi has not hesitated to file misconduct complaints against judges who oppose her, urging their recusal from cases.
Perhaps most controversial has been the department’s willingness to use criminal law against Trump’s political adversaries. Bondi ordered a grand-jury probe into the Obama administration’s handling of Russian interference in the 2016 election—a topic that had already been exhaustively investigated. Trump himself, at a recent news conference, pointed to Bondi and said, “I’m looking at Pam, because I hope something’s going to be done about it,” referencing Hillary Clinton and the “Russia, Russia hoax.”
Bondi’s aggressive approach has drawn outrage from Democrats and unease from Republicans, even those who support much of Trump’s agenda. Former senior Justice Department officials have described her rhetoric as “ferociously sycophantic” and worry that she has turned the department into an arm of the White House. Yet Bondi appears unfazed by such criticism, focusing instead on delivering results for Trump and his base.
But Bondi’s tenure has not been without missteps. Her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, which began with promises of dramatic revelations and ended with the Justice Department announcing that no further disclosures would be made, sparked a backlash from the MAGA right. Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly predicted, “Her days are numbered,” after Bondi failed to deliver on expectations of exposing Epstein’s so-called “client list.” Even Trump’s inner circle was reportedly frustrated by the episode, but Bondi ultimately retained the President’s support.
Bondi’s loyalty to Trump is legendary. She was the first major Florida official to endorse him in 2016, and her unwavering support through impeachment, election challenges, and legal battles has been rewarded with both political prominence and lucrative private-sector opportunities. Her critics, however, point to ethical questions—including a controversial donation from Trump while she was Florida’s attorney general—and her rapid reversal of longstanding Justice Department norms.
Inside the Justice Department, Bondi has overseen a purge of career officials, especially those involved in the prosecutions of Trump. “We’re starting at every level of the Justice Department and getting rid of the worst of the worst,” Bondi told Fox News’s Sean Hannity. Thousands of employees have accepted buyouts, and divisions like the Civil Rights Division have seen mass departures, as the department’s focus has shifted to denaturalization, attacks on diversity initiatives, and legal challenges to transgender healthcare and sanctuary city protections.
Bondi’s relationship with the White House is unusually close, with her chief of staff asserting, “You have one client, and you have to represent that one client. If you don’t want to do that, then it’s just not the place for you.” This blurring of lines between the executive branch and the Justice Department has alarmed many legal experts, who warn of the dangers of politicizing law enforcement. Yet for Trump and his supporters, Bondi’s approach is exactly what they want: an Attorney General who will “bend the department to his will and punish his perceived enemies,” as The New Yorker put it.
Bondi’s recent actions in D.C.—from the police department shakeup to the crackdown on sanctuary policies—are emblematic of her broader philosophy: bold, unapologetic, and fiercely loyal to the President. Whether this approach will bring lasting change or provoke further backlash remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Pam Bondi has left an indelible mark on the Justice Department and the nation’s capital, reshaping both in ways that will reverberate for years to come.
