By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Friday, July 1, marked the one year anniversary of the death of innocent 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle, who was shot by a criminal illegal alien and died in her father’s arms on a San Francisco street.
The often arrested, often deported killer, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez had most recently been a guest of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department jail; but when his latest jail time was up the San Francisco authorities released him to the streets without phoning the Immigrations Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to deport the professional criminal. San Francisco is a sanctuary city and refuses to help deport even the most dangerous of criminal illegal aliens back to their home countries. Once on the loose, the felon stole a firearm from a Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) agent’s vehicle and then shot Steinle. The brutal assassination sparked national outrage. Donald Trump seized on the event to leap into the lead in a crowded GOP field. Both US Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) and US Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) released statements on the anniversary of Steinle’s murder.
Sen. Shelby said, “Today’s anniversary of the tragic death of Kathryn Steinle serves as a reminder that we must take action against sanctuary cities that blatantly ignore federal immigration removal policies. Since last July, I have pressed Attorney General Lynch to put an end to funding for municipalities that deliberately obstruct policies to remove illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.” “Although the killer had already been convicted of seven felonies, he was not reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for removal from the US because San Francisco is a sanctuary city.”
Sen. Shelby continued, “The American people deserve better than for the federal government to sit back and allow dangerous illegal immigrants to be put back on the streets by cities who refuse to follow the law.”
Congressman Brooks said, “One year ago today, Kate Steinle was murdered in a sanctuary city, San Francisco, by an illegal alien who had been deported five times. This murderer should have never been released on our streets, and sanctuary city polices allow these tragedies to occur. I am a proud original cosponsor of Kate’s Law, which would impose strict penalties on illegal aliens, like Kate’s murderer, who reenter the US after being deported.”
Sen. Shelby said, “Next week, the Senate will take a vote on a common-sense measure to address the inexcusable actions of sanctuary cities.” “I am pleased that the Senate will take a vote on a common-sense measure next week to address the inexcusable actions of sanctuary cities. The American people deserve better than for the federal government to sit back and allow dangerous illegal immigrants to be put back on the streets by cities who refuse to follow the law. With the growing threat of terror at home and abroad, we must do all that we can to protect our citizens from those seeking to do us harm.”
Congressman Brooks said, “My legislation, the Arrest Statistics Reporting Act, would provide desperately needed transparency and statistics on immigration and crime. This Administration has repeatedly failed to prevent illegal aliens from reentering our country, and indeed incentivizes this illegal behavior, while ICE freed 19,723 criminal aliens (with 64,197 convictions among them) in 2015 alone.”
The conservative Huntsville Congressman vowed, “I will continue to fight on behalf of all Americans against those who place the interests of illegal aliens above the security of Americans.”
The family of Ms. Steinle filed a lawsuit on May 27 alleging that the illegal immigrant accused in the killing should have been in custody if not for a series of mistakes by city and federal workers. Despite the national outrage, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors have refused to end their policy of protections for people in the country illegally. Sheriff at the time of the killing, Ross Mirkarimi, is named in the lawsuit, along with ICE and the Bureau of Land Management.
Sen. Shelby concluded. “I hope that my colleagues will remember the senseless death of Kathryn Steinle and take action to protect our citizens from those seeking to do us harm.”
