Sen. David Vitter, R-La., and several other Republicans, including presidential candidate Ted Cruz, have introduced a bill in the Senate to punish so-called “sanctuary cities” that violate federal immigration law.
The bill would withhold federal grants, among them “SCAAP grants,” “cops grants” and “community development block grants” to cities that don’t follow the law. The bill charges the secretary of Homeland Security with administrating its mandates.
The bill also increases the penalty for illegal re-entry into the United States following deportation, in a move that seems directly correlated with the emerging “Kate’s Law” movement that has sprung up following the murder of Kate Steinle in San Franciso, allegedly by an illegal immigrant who had been deported several times.
Cruz has spoken out about the Steinle case in his campaign.
The bill sets a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison for any illegal alien who re-enters the United States following deportation.
The bill further seeks to guarantee “liability protection for state and local law enforcement who cooperate with federal law enforcement and for other purposes.”
These new protections would ensure that no liability “shall lie against the state or political subdivision for actions taken in compliance” with the law, and that “the officer, employee or agent shall be deemed to be an employee of the federal government” when attempting to carry out this law.
While some reports said the bill could come up for a vote in the Senate soon, Senate GOP leaders currently have no vote scheduled on the bill.
