WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) on Thursday sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch urging the Department of Justice to end taxpayer-funded federal grants to “sanctuary cities” that ignore federal immigration laws.
Shelby’s letter comes in the wake of the tragic killing of 32-year-old Kathryn “Kate” Steinle, who was shot in the back while walking with her father on a pier in San Francisco. The alleged killer is Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, an illegal Mexican immigrant and convicted criminal who had been deported five times but was released onto the streets of San Francisco in April because the city openly ignores immigration laws.
“Any violent crime is tragic, but the fact that the senseless death in San Francisco arose directly from a ‘sanctuary city’ deliberately obstructing policies to remove illegal immigrants who have committed crimes is appalling and inexcusable,” said Senator Shelby. “I strongly believe that interfering with the routine coordination of federal law enforcement is intolerable and potentially deadly to law-abiding American families.
“Municipalities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration laws simply should not receive the Department of Justice’s assistance funding,” he continued. “The freedoms we enjoy – like strolling on a San Francisco pier with our children – are possible only when we are willing to enforce the federal laws that keep our families and our freedoms safe.”
To view the text of Senator Shelby’s letter calling on the Attorney General to put an end to funding for “sanctuary cities” that circumvent immigration removal policies, click here.
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— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) June 9, 2015
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