Sanctuary cities do not serve the interests of the law-abiding citizens who live in them, Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) argued after an illegal immigrant allegedly murdered a young woman at a San Francisco pier.
“My heart breaks for the family and friends of Kate Steinle, as they have seen a promising young life ended too soon, and the suspect is a criminal who should never have been in this country in the first place” Barletta said in a statement Monday. “That her accused killer is a seven-time felon, was deported five times, and was prevented from being deported a sixth by San Francisco policies, is as maddening as it is inexplicable.”
“These so-called ‘sanctuary cities’ are safe havens for everyone but law-abiding citizens,” he added.
Last week five-time deportee, seven-time felon Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez allegedly killed Steinle unprovoked at a San Francisco pier. News reports indicate he said he went to San Francisco because it was a sanctuary city.
“Proponents of amnesty for illegal immigrants continuously use images of children as arguments for forgiving unlawful immigration behavior, but where is the outrage when an innocent life is taken by someone who should not have been present in this country?” Barletta asked.
“If we were serious about securing our borders and protecting American citizens, perhaps Kate Steinle and Derek Kichline would still be alive today,” he added, recalling Kichline’s 2006 murder.