Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, Jim Steinle called for legislation to keep criminal immigrants off the streets.
“Our family realizes the complexities of immigration laws, however, we feel strongly that some legislation should be discussed, enacted and/or changed to take these undocumented immigrant felons off our streets for good,” Steinle testified before the committee Thursday.
Steinle’s, daughter Kathryn Steinle, was killed earlier this month at a San Francisco pier while walking with her father. A multiple deportee illegal immigrant with a long rap sheet has been charged with her murder. The illegal immigrant had been in San Francisco’s custody but was released due to the city’s sanctuary policy of not honoring federal immigration detainers.
“Everywhere Kate went throughout the world, she shined the light of a good citizen from the United States of America. Unfortunately, due to disjointed laws and basic incompetence of the government, the U.S. 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,” Steinle said.
Steinle expressed incredulity at the government’s release of criminal immigrants — noting that between 2010 and 2014, 121 criminal immigrants with active deportation cases were subsequently charged with homicide following their release.
“It is unbelievable to see that so many innocent Americans have been killed by undocumented immigrant felons in recent years,” he said.
Steinle — who testified earlier in the week before the Senate Judiciary Committee — went on to call for legislation to take on the release of criminal immigrants.
“We would be proud to see Kate’s name associated with some of this new legislation. We feel that if Kate’s Law saves 1 daughter, 1 son, a mother or a father, Kate’s death won’t be in vain,” he said.
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