US Attorney Fired Over Immigration Enforcement Dispute

The U.S. attorney representing Sacramento stated that she was dismissed after informing the Border Patrol chief about the illegitimacy of arresting individuals in the Central Valley without probable cause.

Michele Beckwith, who took on the role of U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California earlier this year, was let go following her warning to Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol chief for the El Centro Sector. She highlighted that a court injunction prohibited indiscriminate raids on migrants in Sacramento.

Though Beckwith didn’t respond to requests for comments from the LA Times, she expressed to the New York Times, “We have to stand up and insist on following the law.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento chose not to comment, and the Department of Homeland Security also did not respond to inquiries made on Friday evening.

Bovino had initiated several operations in Los Angeles since June, where agents targeted Latino workers outside places like Home Depot, car washes, and bus stops, often using unmarked vehicles and wearing masks.

These tactics, however, were challenged in California’s eastern district after lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and United Farms led to a successful injunction earlier this year.

The ongoing lawsuit stemmed from earlier operations, like “Operation Return to Sender” in Kern County, where agents focused on areas frequented by workers. A U.S. District Court judge later ruled that the Border Patrol likely breached constitutional protections against unreasonable searches.

According to Beckwith, she received a call from Bovino on July 14, where he stated his intention to send agents to Sacramento. She reminded him of the injunction preventing indiscriminate stops in the Eastern District. The next day, she emailed him, stressing the importance of “court orders and compliance with the constitution.”

Shortly thereafter, her work-issued cell phone and computer ceased functioning, and by 5 PM, she was informed via email that her employment had been terminated.

This marked the end of her 15-year tenure at the Justice Department, where she served as the office’s criminal director and tackled cases involving various criminal organizations.

Just two days later, on July 17, Bovino and his agents executed a raid at a Home Depot located south of downtown Sacramento.

In an interview that day, Bovino claimed the operation was based on targeted intelligence. “Everything we do is targeted,” he stated. “We had prior intelligence indicating specific targets at that Home Depot.” He further asserted that their operations would continue unabated, emphasizing, “There is no sanctuary anywhere. We will stay here.”

Beckwith is among several prosecutors who have been dismissed or pressured by the Trump administration to carry out policies that align with the administration’s political agenda.

Earlier this year, a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles was reportedly fired after interference from a lawyer representing a fast-food executive who sought the dismissal of charges against him.

In July, Mauren Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James B. Comey, was also dismissed from her role as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan. Just recently, another U.S. attorney in Virginia was removed after determining insufficient evidence existed to indict Comey.

Subsequently, a new prosecutor successfully secured an indictment against Comey for allegedly making false statements and obstructing Congress.