Federal immigration authorities asked the sheriff’s department to detain Lopez-Sanchez until they could pick him up.
Advertisement
“Additionally”, he added, “the House will pass the “No Sanctuary for Criminals Act” as well”.
“Well, it is important because the American people have said that it is important”.
During a heated debate over the bills on the House floor Thursday afternoon, Republicans said their votes were in support of law and order – one of the president’s campaign promises.
Menendez, a member of the bipartisan “gang of eight” that helped usher a comprehensive immigration overhaul bill through the Senate in 2013, acknowledged that while some Democrats chose to vote with Republicans on enforcement bills in the past, “many more did not”.
The bill’s sponsor, Virginia congressman Bob Goodlatte, seeks to address that issue through another bill that also passed today.
“We think it’s going to be an improvement in public safety because all communities around the country will have measure of safety”, Biggs said.
President Donald Trump is applauding the House of Representatives for passing “two crucial measures to save and protect American lives”. Earlier this year, he announced the creation of VOICE – Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement.
That idea was vindicated this week as the Supreme Court let most of President Trump’s temporary restrictions on Muslim immigrants from six Middle Eastern nations go into effect – despite lower-court rulings by Obama-appointed judges in California, Hawaii, Washington and Maryland that Trump’s temporary travel ban discriminated against Muslims. They already committed one crime by entering the country illegally.
-Cronkite News video by Alex Valdez.
“Sanctuary cities are anything but safe”, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly said.
“My Republican colleagues often talk about states’ rights, but this risky legislation would bully our local communities and law enforcement, while persecuting immigrants”, said Rep.
House Majority Leader Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) also praised the passage of the bills.
The second bill would strip certain federal grants from states and cities that refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities, known as sanctuary cities. It would increase the mandatory penalties for aliens who illegally re-enter the U.S.
Hoyer suggested the “public’s perception of allowing people to come back in, commit crimes and not have a more serious sentence” could harm vulnerable Democrats.
The proposed bill “would not have kept Kate Steinle’s killer off the streets”, Gutierrez said. ‘We can’t bring her back, she’s gone because of the hands of a criminal alien, who was released rather than being handed over according to lawful process of federal law enforcement.
That’s not a surprise, given that the Trump administration has gone beyond targeting immigrants with criminal histories for deportations as well.
Despite opposition from Democrats, Speaker Ryan expects the Republican conference to approve both Kate’s Law and the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act.
A White House-backed bill that’s expected to pass the U.S. House today would strip sanctuary cities of federal grants – putting Boston and at least four other MA communities that have officially voiced solidarity with illegal immigrants in danger of losing millions in federal funds. However, Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler called the legislation “callous and irrational”. The bill now heads to the US Senate for approval. His office could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.
Both bills will need approval from the Senate to become law.
Advertisement
“That’s just bogus”, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., told CNN Thursday.
