Kate Steinle Day

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National Review/The Corner:

Mark Krikorian

July 1, 2016

 

One year ago today, Kate Steinle was killed in San Francisco by a previously deported felon protected by that city’s sanctuary policies. In the interim, neither Congress nor the administration has done anything to rein in these acts of nullification by states and localities against federal immigration law.

 

 

That may change next week, when the Senate is expected to vote on Kate’s Law, introduced last year by Ted Cruz and championed by Bill O’Reilly. The bill would establish mandatory minimum sentences for illegal aliens who, like Steinle’s killer, re-enter after having been formally deported. There’s nothing wrong with the bill, but it’s mainly symbolic – reentry after deportation is already a felony and the problem is that Obama’s Justice Department seldom prosecutes offenders. A more useful approach is contained in another bill possibly up for a Senate vote next week, sponsored by Pat Toomey, to cut off funds from sanctuary cities. Even if Harry Reid were to allow such a bill to pass, and Paul Ryan did likewise, Obama would veto it, but at least that would help clarify the stakes in November.

 

Steinle’s death was only one of many caused by the failure of immigration enforcement. (The Remembrance Project preserves their memory.) Sarah Root was killed by a drunk-driving illegal-alien “unaccompanied” “minor” from Central America, who was released on bail after ICE refused to take him into custody because he didn’t meet Obama’s enforcement priorities. He has since disappeared. The four senators from Iowa (where Root was from) and Nebraska (where the killing occurred) have introduced “Sarah’s Law” to mandate ICE detention in cases involving death or serious injury.

 

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[Valin]

Cruz Challenges Congress to Protect Americans, Not Kate Steinle’s Killer
Cortney O'Brien
Jul 06, 2016

Update: Kate's Law failed by a vote of 55-42 on Wednesday, failing to meet the 60-vote threshold. Sen. Cruz, as you can imagine, was extremely disappointed in his colleagues.

"It is disappointing to see Democratic leaders stand with convicted felons rather than the American people," he said in a new statement. "Once again, many Democrats have politicized an issue that shouldn't be a red state/blue state issue.”

It appears the sanctuary city legislation introduced by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) has also failed.

 

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