Site icon The Punching Bag Post

House Republicans Advance Trump’s Attack on Sanctuary Cities

<p>House Republicans passed <em>Kate&rsquo&semi;s Law<&sol;em> on Thursday&comma; a bill that increases penalties for deported illegals who try to enter the United States a second time&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The bill is named after Kate Steinle&comma; who was shot and killed by an illegal immigrant in San Francisco in 2015&period; The gunman&comma; believed to be Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez&comma; had 7 felony convictions and had been deported 5 times&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Trump often mentioned Kate&&num;8217&semi;s death&nbsp&semi;during campaign speeches about illegal immigration&period;&nbsp&semi;<em>Kate&rsquo&semi;s Law<&sol;em> passed with a vote of 257-157&period; If it passes through the Senate&comma; this will be another promise kept by Trump&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The House also passed the <em>No Sanctuary for Criminals Act<&sol;em> &lpar;228-195&rpar;&comma; which withholds certain federal grants to cities that continue to maintain sanctuary policies&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>This translates to millions of dollars lost for cities like San Francisco&comma; Los Angeles&comma; and Chicago&comma; including money allocated for purposes like combating gangs&comma; stopping terrorism&comma; and preventing drug crimes&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&ldquo&semi;For years&comma; the lack of immigration enforcement and spread of sanctuary policies have cost too many lives&comma;&rdquo&semi; said Rep&period; Bob Goodlatte &lpar;R-VA&rpar;&comma; who authored both bills&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>ICE has arrested over 60&comma;000 individuals this year that were known or suspected to be in the US illegally&period; Of that number&comma; over 45&comma;000 were convicted criminal aliens&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&ldquo&semi;The word &lsquo&semi;sanctuary&rsquo&semi; calls to mind someplace safe&comma; but too often for families and victims affected by illegal immigrant crime&comma; sanctuary cities are anything but safe&comma;&rdquo&semi; said Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly&period; &ldquo&semi;It is beyond my comprehension why federal state and local officials&hellip&semi;would actively discourage or outright prevent law enforcement agencies from upholding the laws of the United States&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Democrats have been quick to criticize the Administration&rsquo&semi;s efforts to punish sanctuary cities as &ldquo&semi;anti-immigrant&&num;8221&semi; and say Trump is using the issue as a scapegoat for other problems&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The National Fraternal Order of Police argues that it is &ldquo&semi;unjust to penalize law enforcement and the citizens they serve because Congress disagrees with their enforcement priorities with respect to our nation&rsquo&semi;s immigration laws&period;&rdquo&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The two bills could run into trouble in the Senate&comma; where Republicans have just 52 seats and will need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster&period; A similar version of <em>Kate&rsquo&semi;s Law<&sol;em>&comma; introduced by Ted Cruz &lpar;R-TX&rpar;&comma; failed to pass through the Senate last year&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&ldquo&semi;Opposing these bills&comma; and allowing dangerous criminals back into your communities&comma; our schools&comma; and the neighborhoods where our children play&comma; puts all of us at risk&comma;&rdquo&semi; said Trump&period; &ldquo&semi;Now&comma; that the House has acted&comma; I urged the Senate to take up these bills&comma; pass them&comma; and send them to my desk&period;&rdquo&semi;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

Exit mobile version