A federal appeals court ruled Monday the parents of Kate Steinle, who was shot and killed by an illegal immigrant in 2015, cannot sue San Francisco for the “sancutary city’s” failure to tell immigration officials about the shooter’s release.
Steinle’s parents alleged San Francisco and the city’s former sheriff shared the blamed for their daughter’s death because officials did not notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement when Jose Ines Garcia Zarate got out of jail.
Garcia Zarate had been deported five times prior to killing Steinle and was released from jail three months before the shooting.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court’s dismissal of the family’s suit on Monday, according to CNN.
“As the main opinion properly acknowledges, the events underlying this case are tragic,” the court filing said. “And some of Plaintiffs’ claims remain to be litigated in the district court. We hold only that, under California law, the state officials are immune from suit.”
President Trump has mentioned Steinle’s death in arguing for stronger immigration laws and enforcement.
