Rep. Steve King: ‘Devastation’ of Failing to Enforce Immigration Law Is ‘Breathtaking’

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) expressed sadness and frustration during a hearing on sanctuary cities Thursday, that criminal immigrants remain on U.S. streets.

Addressing the recent murder of Kathryn Steinle, allegedly by a multiple deportee illegal immigrant with a lengthy criminal record, King recalled his past requests for Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports on immigrant crime.

“As of 2011 25,064 criminal aliens were arrested for homicide in the U.S. That’s as of the end of 2010, how many since then? How big is that number?” he said, noting he had tweeted that sentiment earlier this month.

King explained that when extrapolated out, the number of crimes committed up to now exceeds seven million.

“I look at the report and I do the math, that number comes to perhaps 48,000. I look at the crimes that have been committed by criminal aliens. This report, coupled with a subsequent report brings us to a number in the area of 7.2 million crimes for perhaps less than about half that many crime victims,” he said.

The Iowa Republican continued, stressing his outrage and sadness at what the lack of immigration enforcement has wrought.

“The devastation in this country because we refuse to enforce the law is breathtaking when you look at the statistics and it is a tragedy that causes my hard heart to cry when I see what happened,” King said.

“And we knew it. This Congress knew it. I saw it 12 or 13 years ago, many of us have seen it but because of political desires, people that gain a political advantage from having the political support — they’re pandering to and catering to people they know are lawbreakers and this tragedy was 100 percent avoidable,” he added.