Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. SALMON. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague Duncan Hunter for working with me in crafting this important piece of legislation. As the coauthor of this bill, I am very proud to see the House taking action on this front. I also want to thank leadership for bringing this bill to the floor.

We are hearing some strange rhetoric here today, especially from the other side of the aisle. I hear about vulnerable cities. How about vulnerable taxpaying Americans? I hear about sanctuary for thugs like the one that killed Kate Steinle. Shouldn't our cities be a sanctuary for law-abiding American citizens who have a right to walk on safe streets?

Make no mistake, this is a very, very important bill. From 2010 to 2014, the number 121 should stick in everybody's minds; 121 illegal immigrants with lengthy criminal records went on to commit murder after they were let out to do their heinous crimes.

That is why I was so appalled to hear one of my colleagues from across the aisle call the murder of American citizens like Kate Steinle and my constituent, Grant Ronnebeck, a little thing. Such disgusting remarks and flagrant disregard for life, especially the lives of those that we claim to represent, I find repulsive. In fact, such callous remarks only serve to highlight the fact that it is time for the majority of Americans who want to see government fulfill its most basic constitutional duties, protecting its borders and its citizens, stand up and take America back. It is time to stand up and be heard and demand that our government fulfill these most basic duties.

These sanctuary cities that refuse to uphold the law and openly broadcast the fact that they are flouting the law make our country less safe and only serve to perpetuate tragedies like the one that we saw in San Francisco. Not only are these supposed sanctuary cities ignoring the law, but they are broadcasting the fact to illegal immigrant felons like Kate Steinle's murderer, a seven-time felon who flat out admitted one of the reasons that he chose to stay in San Francisco--in fact, the predominant reason he chose to stay--was because he knew that they would protect him.

Well, who is going to protect law-abiding Americans? When will American cities be sanctuaries for Americans and not for illegal felons?

Unfortunately, these sanctuary cities are not being held accountable by this administration, which has demonstrated time and time again it has no interest in securing the border or upholding existing immigration law. With this in mind, I think that we have a responsibility to stand up and do what is right. This sanctuary cities policy and fixing it so that they have to abide by the laws that we pass here in Congress to protect our borders and protect our citizens has to be adhered to. It is just common sense.

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