Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman has defended illegal immigration and claimed that sanctuary city policies make “everybody safer.”
The democratic candidate and Lieutenant Governor defended illegal immigration at a speaking event at West Chester University in 2016.
At the event, Fetterman claimed it was un-American to prevent immigrants from entering the country. He stated, “Sanctuary cities is another policy that I very much support,” before going on to say that they “make everybody safer.” Fetterman went on to allege that those who want to limit immigration are racist or otherwise bigoted.
While discussing immigration policy and sanctuary cities, Fetterman remarked, “There’s a dark side of populism, and that’s what the other side seems to have tapped into – that if you’re the wrong color, and you’re the wrong religion, and you came from the wrong country, that you’re automatically a suspect.”
Republican nominee Mehmet Oz has highlighted his opponent’s stance on sanctuary cities and crime in his first television ad of the general election.
The Oz campaign has also published a letter, which is signed by 13 county sheriffs, that asks Fetterman to clarify his beliefs on a number of issues related to crime. The letter reads:
On September 25, 2015, when asked about your stances on drugs, you stated that you were not only in favor of legalizing marijuana but also asserted you were for decriminalizing drugs across the board. Since your comments, drug overdoses have risen exponentially, taking the lives of nearly 92,000 Americans in 2020.
The letter also points out that “On July 20, 2020, you said you promoted releasing one-third of Pennsylvania inmates and believed that it would not make anyone less safe. Additionally, on June 1, 2021, you expressed that you favor lightening sentences for murderers.”
The letter continues, saying “We believe such measures would add to already rising crime rates in Pennsylvania, particularly in Philadelphia.”
Spencer Lindquist is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerLndqst and reach out at slindquist@breitbart.com