By Attorney General Pam Bondi has launched an investigation into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after the California Democrat suggested that local officials could detain federal immigration agents who break state laws—an escalation in the ongoing clash over federal authority during expected immigration raids in San Francisco.
The dispute follows President Donald Trump’s decision earlier this week to delay a planned deployment of federal agents to the city. Trump had hinted at a “surge” of federal forces in an interview with Fox News but later announced on social media that he would postpone the move after consulting with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and several business leaders, writes MSNBC.
Pelosi warned that any federal agents who violate California statutes could face arrest by local law enforcement, noted The New York Times.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested on Wednesday that local police could arrest federal agents if they break California law while conducting immigration raids that were expected this week in the San Francisco Bay Area.
With Border Patrol agents due to arrive, Ms. Pelosi issued the stark warning along with Kevin Mullin, a fellow Democratic representative, who represents the small slice of San Francisco that Ms. Pelosi doesn’t. President Trump has said several times in recent weeks that he wanted to send federal forces to the city.
“While the president may enjoy absolute immunity courtesy of his rogue Supreme Court, those who operate under his orders do not,” they wrote in a statement on Wednesday. “Our state and local authorities may arrest federal agents if they break California law — and if they are convicted, the president cannot pardon them.”
In their statement, Representatives Pelosi and Mullin made clear that they believed federal immigration agents had overstepped their authority in other situations.
“Reports of a planned mass immigration raid in the Bay Area are an appalling abuse of law enforcement power,” they wrote. “Broad sweeps that target families and terrorize law-abiding residents betray our nation’s values and waste resources that should focus on real threats to public safety.”
Bondi, a Republican and close Trump ally, fired back during an appearance on Fox News, accusing Pelosi of promoting obstruction of justice. “If you are telling people to arrest our ICE officers, our federal agents, you cannot do that, you are impeding an investigation, and we will charge them,” Bondi said. She added, “You’ve got Pelosi out there saying to obstruct their investigation. You can’t do it, and we’re going to investigate her now.”
🚨 BREAKING: Attorney General Pam Bondi has just ORDERED NANCY PELOSI to “PRESERVE HER EMAILS” after she ORDERED ICE to be ARRESTED 🚨@PamBondi: “You are impeding an investigation, and we will charge you. If they think I won’t, they have not met me” 🔥 pic.twitter.com/l79LRwQNwP
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) October 24, 2025
Critics counter that Pelosi’s comments were mischaracterized, noting that she did not call for the indiscriminate arrest of immigration agents but rather insisted that any unlawful conduct be subject to prosecution. Still, Bondi’s Justice Department appears poised to move forward with the probe, adding to a growing list of investigations aimed at the administration’s political adversaries.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former defense attorney for Trump, echoed Bondi’s warning, saying state or local officials who support detaining federal immigration agents could themselves face charges.
Pelosi has not publicly commented on the investigation or the threat of federal action.
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