President Donald Trump fired Michele Beckwith, the acting US attorney in Sacramento, just hours after she instructed immigration agents to follow federal law in her district. Beckwith, who took the position in January, received an email on 15 July at 4:31 p.m. notifying her of her termination.
The day before, Beckwith had spoken with Gregory Bovino, head of the Border Patrol unit in El Centro, a city about 600 miles south of Sacramento. Bovino was planning an immigration raid in Sacramento and asked who in Beckwith’s office to contact if his officers faced resistance. Beckwith told him that agents could not indiscriminately detain people north of Bakersfield, citing a federal court order issued in April that restricts detaining individuals without reasonable suspicion. The Supreme Court recently overturned a similar order from Los Angeles.
Beckwith reiterated her message in a 10:57 a.m. email on 15 July, emphasizing that she expected “compliance with court orders and the constitution.” Less than six hours later, her work computer and phone were disabled, and she received an official termination notice at her personal email address.
Despite her warning, Bovino conducted the immigration raid two days later at a Sacramento Home Depot. In a video posted from the California State Capitol, he said, “There is no such thing as a sanctuary city.” He added that Beckwith’s email “revealed a bias against law enforcement” and cited the Supreme Court ruling as proof that Border Patrol acts within constitutional limits.
On 8 September, the Supreme Court allowed federal immigration agents to stop people based solely on race, language, or occupation, overturning the Los Angeles judge’s earlier order that had halted sweeping raids.
Beckwith’s firing is part of a series of federal dismissals targeting prosecutors perceived as not aligning with the president’s agenda. Last week, US attorney Erik Siebert resigned under pressure and was swiftly replaced by Lindsey Halligan after Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to act. Siebert had been overseeing investigations involving Letitia James and James Comey.
Beckwith has appealed her termination. She told the New York Times, “I’m an American who cares about her country. We have to stand up and insist the laws be followed.”
