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Press Release

Statement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Kate’s Law and the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act

For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs

Attorney General Jeff Sessions today issued the following statement regarding Kate’s Law (H.R. 3004) and the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act (H.R. 3003):

“I urge the House of Representatives to pass Kate’s Law and the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act right away.

“President Trump is committed to the rule of law and public safety, and it is the responsibility of the Department of Justice to enforce that law to keep people safe.

“Countless families and communities have suffered as a result of these ‘sanctuary’ policies, which undermine federal law by safeguarding criminal illegal aliens from federal law enforcement. One victim of these policies was Kate Steinle, who was killed by an illegal alien who had been deported five times and yet still walked the streets freely. Her death was preventable, and she would still be alive today if only the City of San Francisco had put the public’s safety first. How many more Americans must die before we put an end to this madness?

“Violent, transnational gangs like MS-13 take advantage of these policies in order to smuggle in drugs, recruit new members from our schools, and pillage and plunder our communities. Closing these loopholes in our laws must be a priority if we are to make America safe from these dangerous transnational organizations.

“Americans demand that these ‘sanctuary cities’ stop protecting criminals and start protecting law-abiding residents from danger. It should come as no surprise that a Harvard University report found that 80 percent of Americans believe that cities that arrest illegal aliens for crimes should be required to turn them over to federal immigration officials.

“Kate’s Law and the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act would penalize criminal illegal aliens who break our laws and the jurisdictions that attempt to shield them from justice. These bills can restore sanity and common-sense to our system by ending abusive attempts to undermine federal law, and they can prevent future tragedies by empowering law enforcement.

“I urge the House of Representatives to put the American people first before another family loses their child.”

Updated October 3, 2017

Topic
Immigration
Press Release Number: 17-715