Jim Jordan Drops the Hammer on Larry Krasner’s Sanctuary City Stonewalling
By Ben SmithHouse Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (OH-04) subpoenaed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner on Wednesday after the left-wing, Soros-backed prosecutor failed to turn over records concerning his office’s immigration policies.
The subpoena orders Krasner to produce the requested documents by July 29. Jordan said the committee first sought the records on May 4 and has not received a single responsive document in more than two months.
The committee is investigating whether Krasner’s office has declined to prosecute or reduced charges and sentencing recommendations for noncitizens to help them avoid deportation or other immigration consequences.
Jordan’s initial letter sought records dating back to January 2018, including communications with Immigration and Customs Enforcement; policies governing the prosecution and bond treatment of noncitizens; cases reviewed by the office’s Immigration Counsel; and communications with the Philadelphia Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office.
The May letter cited a district attorney’s office policy encouraging prosecutors to consider “alternative plea offers or sentencing recommendations” when a conviction could carry immigration consequences. It also pointed to language from Krasner’s office stating that “low-level and nonviolent crimes should not lead to deportation or necessarily risk one’s immigration status.”
Krasner was originally given until May 18 to produce the records.
According to Jordan’s subpoena letter, Krasner responded that the committee’s request appeared “baseless” and lacked an accurate legal or factual foundation. Krasner also said his office was working to retain counsel and that a lawyer would respond.
Jordan said that response never came. Instead, on July 7, Krasner sent another letter, one that made ad hominem attacks on committee members and attempted to impose conditions on his cooperation. Jordan wrote:
“More than two months have passed since the Committee requested material from you, and you have failed to produce even a single responsive document. Accordingly, the Committee is issuing compulsory process to obtain the relevant materials.”
The committee announced the subpoena Wednesday evening, accusing Krasner of ignoring its requests for months and using prosecutorial discretion to protect illegal aliens from immigration consequences.
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Krasner has argued that decisions involving charging, pleas, and sentencing belong to state and local officials rather than Congress. In a previous response to Jordan and Rep. Tom McClintock (CA-05), he attacked both lawmakers for what he called "legal errors" and accused them of adhering to "election denialism" and "climate change denialism," while noting, pointedly, that neither had passed the bar.
Jordan rejected Krasner’s jurisdictional argument, citing the House Judiciary Committee’s authority over immigration policy, criminal law enforcement, and judicial proceedings.
The subpoena letter also cited Supreme Court decisions recognizing Congress’s broad investigative authority when lawmakers are considering potential legislation. Jordan said local prosecution policies become a federal concern when they are designed to interfere with immigration enforcement.
The committee wrote:
“Failing to prosecute or under-prosecuting foreign nationals so that immigration consequences can be avoided implicates Congress’s plenary power over immigration.”
Jordan also raised the possibility that preferential treatment based on citizenship or immigration status could violate federal civil rights laws. The letter cited a Justice Department investigation into similar charging and plea-bargaining policies in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Krasner responded Wednesday by calling the subpoena "yet another step in authoritarian efforts to do dirt in the dark" and to pressure state prosecutors.
"We have always complied with the law and will continue to do that. That makes us different from Trump, who spends all day, every day, violating the law of the U.S. Constitution ― and morality."
The dispute comes as Philadelphia officials have expanded efforts to restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities. City lawmakers approved a package of “ICE Out” measures in April, although a federal judge later blocked the city from preventing ICE agents from concealing their identities during enforcement operations.
Jordan said the requested records could inform legislation targeting sanctuary jurisdictions. The committee previously advanced the Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act of 2026 and is considering changes to immigration law that would allow federal officials to consider admissions of guilt, rather than convictions alone, when determining deportability and eligibility for immigration benefits.
Krasner now has until July 29 to produce the documents the committee first requested in May. Whether he complies, or continues to stonewall, will determine whether the standoff escalates further.
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