Posted on 07/22/2015 2:00:00 PM PDT by maggief
House Democratic leaders are slamming GOP legislation aimed at discouraging sanctuary cities, characterizing the proposal as "The Donald Trump Act" in a bid to embarrass the Republicans bringing the measure to the floor this week.
The proposal, which would withhold federal law enforcement funds for state or local governments that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration agents, comes in response to this month's fatal shooting of Kathryn Steinle along the San Francisco waterfront, allegedly by an illegal immigrant with a long criminal history.
The House vote on the Republicans' sanctuary city bill is scheduled for Thursday, and it is expected to pass.
Trump, the billionaire real estate mogul, stirred a hornet's nest of controversy when he launched his GOP presidential bid in June with accusations that most Mexican immigrants are criminals — remarks he's amplified since Steinle's death. The Democrats are citing Trump to highlight their criticisms that the Republicans' bill represents a similar attack on immigrant communities.
"We can do all the politicking we want. We can do the so-called 'Donald Trump Act,' which simply denies the cities and towns their dollars to hire police officers while attacking immigrant communities," Rep. Xavier Becerra (Calif.), head of the House Democratic Caucus, said Wednesday in reference to the GOP's floor agenda. "Or we can actually do things that improve the lives of Americans."
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) piled on, accusing the Republicans of exploiting the Steinle killing to promote a long-held agenda of "making the local police an arm of the federal government."
Lofgren emphasized that Democrats want a thorough review of policies related to illegal immigrant criminals — a review that she and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) requested of the administration on Tuesday. But she also warned that the GOP bill, by blurring the lines between federal and local law enforcers, would erode community trust at the expense of public safety.
"With community policing, you need to make sure that the entire community is free to call the police, to serve as a witness, to be part of fighting crime," said Lofgren, the senior Democrat of the Judiciary Committee's subpanel on immigration and border security. "This bill would obviate that, and if you didn't comply by becoming the immigration police you would lose all of the federal funding that help[s] you enforce the laws."
The issue of sanctuary cities has gained national prominence since the death of 32-year-old Steinle, who was killed on July 1 while walking with her father along San Francisco's popular waterfront.
The suspect, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, was released in April by local law enforcers who, citing San Francisco's sanctuary status, defied a request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials that he be held while they launched deportation proceedings.
Trump pointed to the tragedy as vindication that his earlier depiction of southern-border immigrants was on the mark.
"This is merely one of thousands of similar incidents throughout the United States," Trump said. "[T]remendous infectious disease is pouring across the border."
The remarks have won him strong praise in certain conservative circles, and recent polls put Trump atop the GOP primary field. But they've also raised concerns among national Republican leaders, who are trying to woo Hispanic voters they see as crucial in a number of battleground states in 2016. Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, has privately urged Trump to tone down the rhetoric.
On Capitol Hill, Steinle's death has prompted a flurry of legislative activity, largely among Republicans aiming to eliminate local sanctuary laws.
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation Tuesday that, like the House bill, would tie certain federal grants to the willingness of states, cities or law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal officials in holding or transferring undocumented criminals.
"There is no good rationale for non-cooperation between the feds and state and local law enforcement," Grassley said Tuesday during his panel's hearing on the issue.
Upping the pressure on Congress, Steinle's father, Jim Steinle, urged the Senate panel to move on legislation "to take these undocumented immigrant felons off our streets for good."
"Due to unjointed laws and basic incompetence of the government, the U.S. has suffered a self-inflicted wound in the murder of our daughter by the hand of a person that should have never been on the streets in this country," he said.
Still, the Republican proposals have found strong critics among local law enforcers, many of whom say they simply don't have the authority to detain illegal immigrants beyond the time allowed by local law, federal detainer or none.
"Local agencies cannot be expected to take on these additional duties," Tom Manger, chief of police in Montgomery County, Md., and president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, told the Senate Judiciary Committee. "It is right to call upon us for actions to protect the public from crime and violence, but it is wrong to demand that we engage in matters that relate solely to immigration status."
Rep. Joe Crowley (N.Y.), vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, noted the regional considerations surrounding the sanctuary cities debate. Condemning the Republicans' bill, he argued the importance of unhindered communication in combating problems — including sex trafficking, domestic abuse and gang violence — unique to multicultural urban areas, like his district in Queens.
"In denying funds, federal funds, to cities like New York to hire police officers to engage makes their jobs so much more difficult when they cannot count on the advice and the information coming from the broader community, the general population, including the undocumented communities where there's exploitation of workers … that they need to be able to expose. That would be lost," Crowley warned.
"It's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist."
Trump has them all on the run.
He can’t make an ad this good. You can tell who they fear the most.
Pray America is waking
I’m pretty sure The Donald give that a two thumbs up.
They complain about the attention being given to him, then they nickname a bill after him. They are so stupid.
Proof positive that the rats are America hating gutter dwelling trash. They love cities where the lawless can hide.
Criminal aliens are not immigrants. They are criminals. Really, this is a hanging curve for the beltway GOP and yet they refuse to swing the bat.
He should welcome them naming the act for him. Make them eat their own crap.
We could easily use 20 DT Acts on various issues.
I freaking love it. LOL!
Trump
Owns real estate in all
Of their minds!
Trump should propose that all criminal aliens be released in McLean, VA and Bethesda, MD. That would get the beltway pigs to stop this madness.
They are so stupid.
****************
Yes, but they are bold and they play to win. The Republicans will probably buckle like they always do. Nothing better than having a weak opponent.
Well,I'll stop there...
I would suggest releasing them in the liberal enclave of Georgetown in Washington, DC.
“Lofgren emphasized that Democrats want a thorough review of policies related to illegal immigrant criminals — a review that she and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) requested of the administration on Tuesday.”
Wasn’t it these two yahoos who voted to fund sanctuary cities? Now they don’t know what they originally voted for?
Thats a badge I’d wear with honor. I think most would. Shows you how far left dems are today.
Good idea. Somebody’s doing the raping Don. :-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.