Justice Department tells prosecutors to prioritize cases stemming from immigration unrest

Washington — In an internal memo obtained by CBS News, the Justice Department ordered its 93 federal prosecutors' offices to beef up preparations for criminal cases stemming from unrest in communities across the country over immigration enforcement.   

"Across the country we have seen instances of rioting, looting, arson, destruction of property, assaults on officers (federal, state, and local), and obstruction of federal immigration enforcement efforts," the memo said. "[T]he Department has zero tolerance for any such criminal behavior."

The memo instructs U.S. Attorneys' Offices to "diligently monitor these enforcement efforts by maintaining regular comms with their DHS and DOJ agency counterparts."