Ted Cruz gives ‘Kate’s Law’ a second shot

The Texas Republican’s new bill introduced Wednesday would impose a five-year minimum sentence on any illegal immigrant who re-enters the country. It’s a response to the murder of Kate Steinle in San Francisco at the hands of an illegal immigrant.

Cruz’s second attempt comes after Senate Democrats prevented a broader bill to move ahead in the Senate this week. That bill included Kate’s Law, but was also aimed at cracking down on “sanctuary cities” that ignore federal immigration law.

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However, Democrats filibustered it and it failed to win enough votes to advance on Tuesday. Cruz blasted Democrats this week for failing to protect U.S. citizens against dangerous immigrants.

“This ought to be a clear choice: With whom do you stand?” he asked. “I hope my colleagues in the Senate will support this bill and stand with the American people — the people we should be protecting — rather than convicted felons like the murderer of Kate Steinle.”

California has charged an illegal immigrant, who had been deported many times before, in Steinle’s shooting.

“We had the opportunity to hear from Kate Steinle’s family. The heartbreak is even more appalling because Kate’s killer had been released from custody, and not turned over to the federal government to be deported, because of San Francisco’s sanctuary policy,” Cruz said in a floor speech earlier this week. He said sanctuary city laws are essentially invitations for more illegal immigrants.

“They say to illegal immigrants across the country and across the world, ‘come to San Francisco. We will protect you from federal immigration laws. We, the elected democratic leaders of this city, welcome illegal immigrants, including violent criminal illegal immigrants like the murderer who took Kate Steinle’s life.'” Cruz said. “These policies are inexcusable. They are a threat to the safety of the American people, and they need to end.”