NEW YORK — Tom Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, suggested in a media interview that politicians in sanctuary cities should be charged with a crime.

ACLU Deputy Legal Director Cecillia Wang had this reaction:

“It’s outrageous that ICE acting director Tom Homan is threatening to prosecute state and local government officials for carrying out lawful sanctuary policies. Multiple courts have ruled that the Constitution or federal law prohibits the Trump administration’s efforts to intimidate states and localities into participating in draconian immigration enforcement tactics.

“Homan’s statement ratchets up the intimidation tactics, but there’s no valid basis to prosecute any state or local official under federal criminal law for carrying out a sanctuary policy. And if the federal government targets state and local officials who have spoken out against the Trump administration’s extremist policies, there would be serious First Amendment problems as well.”