End Violent Criminal Sanctuaries

SEN. PAT TOOMEY (R-PA): “My legislation stands for the simple proposition that the safety of the American people matters. The life of Kate Steinle matters. Protecting our neighborhoods from violent criminals and terrorists matters. As the Steinles observe the tragic anniversary of their daughter's death Friday, they deserve to know that we care about that loss too. We must do what we can to prevent another senseless and avoidable death.” (Sen. Toomey, Press Release, 6/30/16)

JEH JOHNSON, Homeland Security Secretary: “It is counterproductive to public safety to have this level of resistance to working with our immigration enforcement personnel… It is simply in my judgment not acceptable to have no policy of cooperation with immigration enforcement.” (“Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson Blasts San Francisco Sanctuary Policy,” AP, 9/15/15)

Kathryn Steinle Murderer ‘Lopez-Sanchez Was Freed To The Streets Under San Francisco “Sanctuary City” Law’

JIM STEINLE, Father Of Kathryn Steinle: “Everywhere Kate went throughout the world, she shined the light of a good citizen from the United States of America. Unfortunately, due to unjointed laws and basic incompetence of the government, the US has suffered a self-inflicted wound in the murder of our daughter by the hand of a person that should have never been on the streets in this country. I say this because the alleged murderer is an undocumented immigrant who has been convicted of 7 felonies in the US and already deported 5 times. Yet, in March of this year, he was released from jail and allowed to stay here freely because of legal loopholes. It is unbelievable to see that so many innocent Americans have been killed by undocumented immigrant felons in recent years.” (Jim Steinle, Testimony To The Senate Judiciary Committee, 7/21/15)

“Officials said Steinle was walking on Pier 14 with her father on July 1 when she was shot dead. ‘As she fell, she said 'help me dad,' Jim Steinle said.’” (“Parents Of Woman Killed At San Francisco's Pier 14 File Legal Claims,” KGO, 9/1/15)

“Within an hour of the shooting, police arrested Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant who had been deported five times and has seven prior felony convictions.” (“Parents Of Woman Killed At San Francisco's Pier 14 File Legal Claims,” KGO, 9/1/15)

• “Lopez-Sanchez was freed to the streets under San Francisco ‘sanctuary city’ law that limits turning over illegal aliens for deportation.” (“Kate Steinle Killing: Ballistics Expert Calls Fatal Shot Accident,” San Jose Mercury News, 8/27/15)

• “He was jailed four months ago for illegally selling marijuana and should have been sent to federal immigration officials instead of being set free, Immigration and Custom Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice said.” (“Kathryn Steinle, Shot Dead By Felon In San Francisco…” New York Daily News, 7/10/15)

“The Steinle family blames the officials who released the suspect from jail prior to the July shooting. Pitre said San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi ‘made himself the king, judge and jury’ when it came to the city's cooperation with federal authorities. ‘Who in their right mind would let a seven-year felon, undocumented, violent felon loose on the streets where you people are now standing,’ Jim said.” (“Parents Of Woman Killed At San Francisco's Pier 14 File Legal Claims,” KGO, 9/1/15)

• “Officials say Mirkarimi had ordered his deputies not to notify ICE on possible deportation detainees except in rare situations. The second claim is against ICE, the agency that enforces immigration laws. The family claims the agency knew about Mirkarimi's policies and yet did nothing to retrieve Sanchez.” (“Parents Of Woman Killed At San Francisco's Pier 14 File Legal Claims,” KGO, 9/1/15)

“In 2008, Edwin Ramos, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, shot and killed Tony Bologna, 48, and his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16. A sanctuary city policy for minors, it turns out, had shielded Ramos from ICE after he was charged with gang-related assault in 2003 and attempted robbery in 2004.” (Debra Saunders, “Sanctuary City: Criminals Welcome,” RealClearPolitics.com,  5/10/16)

“On April 6, 2014, Los Angeles, California law enforcement arrested an individual for felony continuous sexual abuse of a child. Despite the severity of that charge, local law enforcement declined the detainer, the individual was arrest for felony sodomy of a victim under 10 years old.” (“Law Enforcement Systems & Analysis,” U.S. Department Of Homeland Security, P.7, 10/9/14)

“A man accused of attacking and sexually assaulting a 64-year-old woman, who later died, is in the country illegally, according to Santa Maria Police Chief Ralph Martin. Marilyn Pharis died Saturday eight days after she was attacked with a hammer and sexually assaulted in her Santa Maria home, and authorities are weighing whether her alleged assailant, already charged with attempted murder, will face additional charges. The day before she died, Victor Aureliano Martinez Ramirez, a 29-year-old undocumented immigrant, pleaded not guilty…” (“Suspect Of Alleged Sexual Assault In Country Illegally, Police Say,” Santa Maria Times, 8/4/15)

• “The county first booked Martinez on November 19, 2009, for driving without a valid license. He was released 19 days later, police said. He was picked up again on May 22, 2014, initially for felony drug and sexual assault charges, police said. The assault charge was later modified to misdemeanor battery. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed an ‘immigration detainer -- notice of action,’ but the sheriff's office determined the request did not meet its ‘immigration detention requirements,’ police said. Martinez posted bail and was released June 4.” (“Police Chief Blames Immigration, Crime Policies In Murder Of California Woman,” CNN, 8/10/15)

• “‘I think it starts in Washington, D.C., with this administration that we see and their policies. I think you can draw a direct line over to Sacramento with the policies of, I'm going to say, this governor and the Legislature,’ Santa Maria Police Chief Ralph Martin told reporters. ‘And I am not remiss to say that from Washington, D.C., to Sacramento, there's a blood trail into the bedroom of Marilyn Pharis.’” (“Police Chief Blames Immigration, Crime Policies In Murder Of California Woman,” CNN, 8/10/15)

“On February 16, 2014, San Mateo County, California law enforcement arrested an individual for felony lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old. Despite a prior misdemeanor DUI conviction and the severity of the current charge, local law enforcement did not honor an immigration detainer ICE issued for the individual. After local law enforcement declined the detainer, the individual was arrested for three counts of felony oral copulation with a victim under 10 years old and two counts of felony lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old.” (“Law Enforcement Systems & Analysis,” U.S. Department Of Homeland Security, P.7, 10/9/14)

15,000+ Other Examples

“The enactment of numerous state statutes and local ordinances reducing and/or preventing cooperation with ICE… led an increasing number of jurisdictions to decline to honor immigration detainers in FY 2015.  From January 2014… state and local law enforcement agencies declined 16,495 immigration detainers, resulting in convicted criminals being released back into U.S. communities with the potential to re-offend, notwithstanding ICE’s request for those individuals.” (“ICE Enforcement And Removal Operations Report,” U.S. Immigration And Customs, P.7, 12/22/15)