Michele Beckwith, the acting U.S. attorney in Sacramento, was abruptly fired by President Donald Trump just hours after reminding Border Patrol officials that immigration raids in her district must comply with federal court orders.
On 15 July, Beckwith sent an email to Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, emphasizing that agents could not indiscriminately stop or detain people in northern California. Her message followed an April court order restricting such raids. By late afternoon, she received notice that Trump had ordered her termination, and her government devices were shut off.
Two days later, Bovino proceeded with a raid at a Sacramento Home Depot, later claiming Beckwith’s email showed “bias against law enforcement.” The Supreme Court has since ruled that immigration agents may stop people based on race, language, or occupation, overturning lower court restrictions.
Beckwith’s dismissal is part of a broader wave of firings of federal prosecutors who resisted Trump’s agenda. Just a week earlier, U.S. attorney Erik Siebert resigned under pressure, with Trump replacing him in hours. Beckwith has appealed her termination, stating: “We have to stand up and insist the laws be followed.”