The accused, Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, has become the dark-skinned face of the Mexican killers that Donald Trump – in a racist speech announcing his presidential campaign, and numerous interviews thereafter – has been warning the nation about. Protecting a hard-working undocumented immigrant charged with a misdemeanor is one thing.
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On the other hand, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has made a statement on Friday and said that if they were notified that Lopez-Sanchez would be released from jail, they could have taken him into custody and make the necessary arrangements for his deportation. This was a policy that the San Francisco sheriff had to reject all ICE detainers.
Does the murder of Kate Steinle spell the end of sanctuary cities in the United States? There are many within the law enforcement community who believe that the major news organizations can always be counted on to ignore such polling reports since reporters tend to agree with illegal immigration advocates, politicians and the Obama White House on the issue of giving illegal aliens amnesty.
Actually, most Republicans argue that any immigration reform policy has to address border security first, which certainly sounds like it’s right on point.
Sanctuary cities are a scourge, and are safe havens for everyone but law-abiding citizens. These laws establish the framework for ordered and legal immigration which most would agree is highly beneficial to society as well as being a foundational part of American history. Many local police chiefs and sheriffs are concerned that witnesses to crimes won’t cooperate with local cops if they are afraid of being reported to immigration authorities.
When he was asked about the Steinle murder and whether federal immigration agents could have prevented it, White House press secretary Josh Earnest took a trip to Fantasyland.
Some immigrants say they are experiencing a backlash in the wake of Kate Steinle’s death and they are calling for constructive dialogue. Yet, Obama or his spokespersons certainly found it in their hearts to contact families who lost loved ones in Ferguson and Baltimore. For their memories, it is past time to state once and for all that every life matters.
“Why this administration decided to make detainers [requests from federal immigration officials to hold individuals to be deported] permissive instead of mandatory is something ultimately you’re going to have to ask the administration”, Gowdy said. But it means there is yet another issue on which voters will have a clear-cut choice next November.
“They must find a way to balance public safety versus the political positions they have adopted”, Munks said about cities with sanctuary policies.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee faults his nemesis, the sheriff – whom Lee tried to fire after Mirkarimi pleaded guilty to a count of domestic violence – for releasing Lopez-Sanchez. Last night, Steinle’s parents told Fox News the system failed. “I do support the notification program, but we need (a subcommittee of the Public Safety Committee) to give us some options as to how to delegate authority for notifications and which are appropriate”.
None of this would have been necessary had the city of San Francisco and its sheriff had not been so infatuated with its own self-sanctimony over immigration policy. Trump didn’t jump on the story, he approached the death of this young woman with sadness for the family.
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The Priority Enforcement Program needs to work with cities and law-enforcement agencies across the board – to reassure those that are rightly wary of ICE and to restrain those that are only too eager to overreach and abuse their power.
