Having been grilled by Democratic lawmakers over her recollections of a White House meeting in which President Trump described some poor nations sending immigrants to the United States as "shithole countries," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen dropped a potentially even bigger tape-bomb.

The Hill reports that Nielsen testified she did not recall Trump saying “shithole countries” while she spoke under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee. She described the meeting as heated and said many people in the room used coarse language.

“I don't remember the specific words [Trump used],” Nielsen said under questioning from Durbin. “What I was struck with, frankly as I'm sure you were as well, was the general profanity that was used in the room by almost everyone.”

But then Nielsen shocked more than a few Democratic leaders across the nation, who appear to have grown accustomed to living beyond the law.

According to The Washington Times, Nielsen confirmed Tuesday that her department has asked federal prosecutors to see if they can lodge criminal charges against sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal deportation efforts.

“The Department of Justice is reviewing what avenues may be available,” Ms. Nielsen told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Her confirmation came after California’s new sanctuary law went into effect Jan. 1, severely restricting cooperation the state or any of its localities could offer.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan says those policies put his officers and local communities at more risk because they have to arrest illegal immigrants out in the community.

Mr. Homan told The Washington Times last July that he wanted to see local officials charged as complicit in human smuggling if they shielded illegal immigrants through sanctuary policies. Mr. Homan repeated that demand in an interview with Fox News earlier this year, setting off a firestorm of criticism.