Kate Steinle’s murder in San Francisco by an illegal immigrant who had multiple felonies on his record and had been deported five times is, sadly, a recurring problem in our society; and one that far too often gets swept under the rug.
When asked by a reporter whether he kept coming back to San Francisco because he knew the city wouldn’t actively look for him to deport him, Steinle’s murderer answered “yes.”
San Francisco is, of course, a sanctuary city—but it’s certainly not the only one, and these horrific incidents are happening every day.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, there are more than 200 cities across the country that “ignore federal law authorizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to administratively deport illegal aliens without seeking criminal warrants or convictions from federal, state, or local courts.”
(Click here to zoom in on the map.)
“Although federal law requires the cooperation, the Department of Justice has never sued or taken any measure, including denying federal funds, against a jurisdiction,” write CIS’ Bryan Griffith and Marguerite Telford. “On the contrary, the present administration has made it difficult for the states and localities which choose to aid in enforcing immigration laws. Federal law was labeled voluntary by the administration in a November 2014 policy memorandum signed by the Homeland Security Secretary.”
Jessica Vaughan, CIS’ director of policy studies, said that by looking at a broader definition of what a ‘sanctuary city’ is, the number could be much higher.
"One could also argue that any jurisdiction that provides drivers licenses, or welfare benefits, or public housing, or municipal ID cards is a sanctuary," she said, reports The Washington Examiner.