Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Thursday announced the Senate would vote next week on legislation to enact “Kate’s Law,” which would strip any jurisdiction qualifying as a “sanctuary city” of federal grant money.
“Kate’s Law” is a campaign to impose a penalty of a minimum of five years in prison for any illegal immigrant who is deported and then illegally re-enters the United States. The idea has been backed by TV host Bill O’Reilly, and presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Cruz and fellow presidential candidate Marco Rubio are co-sponsors of this legislation in the Senate.
It’s named after Kate Steinle, who was killed in San Francisco this year by an illegal immigration who was deported several times, but still managed to pick up the loaded gun of a federal officer and fire it.
“In a time of limited federal resources and tough choices, is it fair to treat localities that cooperate with federal law enforcement or work hard to follow federal law no better than localities that refuse to help or actively flout the law?” McConnell asked on the Senate floor Thursday. “When felons enter our country illegally and repeatedly, is it fair to victims and families to not do what we can now to stop them?”
“The proponents of so-called ‘sanctuary cities’ seem to callously disregard how their policies can hurt others. That’s not right,” he added.
