On Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime Thursday night, Attorney General Pam Bondi made clear the Justice Department isn’t treating attacks on federal immigration officers as mere political theater. Bondi announced the DOJ has opened investigations into high-profile Democrats — including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and ex-Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot — over efforts that appear aimed at doxxing and obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The exchange began when Watters pointed to a viral video in which Lightfoot touted a project to “unmask” ICE agents — effectively revealing their identities and whereabouts. “JB Pritzker… they’re doxing. They’re telling people the whereabouts of ICE agents. Is that legal?” Watters asked.
“No,” Bondi replied bluntly. She told Watters the Lightfoot video was new to her, and that the DOJ would be sending a preservation letter “tomorrow” to ensure any records tied to the effort are preserved for potential legal action. “She will be getting a letter from us… to make sure that she’s not violating the law. It appears she is,” Bondi said.
Bondi explained the legal problem: federal law protects the identities and locations of federal agents when disclosure could endanger them or impede investigations. “You cannot disclose the identity of a federal agent where they live, anything that could harm them,” she said. Her point was straightforward — airing personal details about officers and urging people to target them crosses a line from political protest into criminal obstruction and intimidation.
The AG didn’t stop with Lightfoot. Bondi said Pritzker is “the same ball game” and that Pelosi received a letter from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche asking her to preserve all relevant communications. “So did Brooke Jenkins,” Bondi added, referring to the San Francisco official tied to similar actions. “We told them, preserve your emails, preserve everything you have on this topic, because if you are telling people to arrest our ICE officers, our federal agents — you cannot do that. You are impeding an investigation.”
Bondi made it plain she won’t shrink from prosecuting powerful figures. “And we will charge them if they think I won’t — they have not met me,” she said. “We will charge them if they are violating the law. We will protect our federal agents.”
Her tone reflected a broader frustration in Washington: while federal officers are carrying out difficult, often dangerous work during the government shutdown, some left-leaning officials have publicly encouraged efforts that could expose those officers to harm. Bondi emphasized that ICE personnel are “out there working non-stop… during a shutdown” to keep communities safe, not political targets for stunt-driven campaigns.
This is more than a policy spat. It’s about enforcing the rule of law and protecting individuals who enforce it. Bondi’s message was crisp and unmistakable — partisan cover will not shield public officials from investigation if they cross a legal line into harassment or obstruction.
For conservatives who have long argued that federal law enforcement should be defended against politicized attacks, Bondi’s move is welcome but overdue. If the DOJ follows through and holds accountable officials who deliberately put agents at risk, it will send a clear signal: American law enforcement won’t be collateral damage in political theater.
