Free Republic

Just in case any of our elected representatives didn’t notice, we’re going to run out of money (again) in a few days. As you may recall, the largest sticking point in the recent edition of Shutdown Theater was the lack of an agreement on a DACA bill. As Ed mentioned earlier, there is a new proposal to get Congress moving on settling the matter and it’s coming in the form of a bipartisan, gang-style arrangement between Senators John McCain and Chris Coons. The details remain a bit sketchy, but the Washington Post has what little we know about it so...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Mexican man acquitted of murder in the shooting death of a San Francisco woman that sparked a national immigration debate was sentenced Friday to time served for illegal gun possession. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Samuel Feng also denied a defense request to grant Jose Ines Garcia Zarate a new trial for his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Garcia Zarate will now be taken into U.S. custody to face two federal gun possession charges. The San Francisco Sheriff’s Department said it would hold Garcia Zarate in jail until U.S. marshals...

Kate’s Law and the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act continue to languish in the Senate in the wake of a California court’s verdict of “not guilty” for Kate Steinle’s illegal immigrant killer. Both bills passed through the House of Representatives in June. The House passed two immigration reform bills in June, Kate’s Law and the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, which marked two of the country’s first steps towards a pro-American immigration policy despite widespread Democrat opposition.

The Sheriff’s Office in Greenville County, South Carolina, has confirmed that immigration services determined a man accused of shooting and killing a local high school girl was in the U.S. illegally. Officials arrested 19-year-old Daniel De Jesus Rangel Sherrer and charged him with the murder of 18-year-old Diana Martinez-Gonzalez, who was found shot to death last week in a patch of woods along the 400 block of Saluda Dam Road in Easley, South Carolina. Deputies said they received a call from a friend of the victim who was “frantic” over the crime, according to Fox Carolina. At a recent press...

House Speaker Paul Ryan, at a private dinner earlier this year, said he thought only “one member” wanted to build a wall across the entire U.S.-Mexico border, Breitbart News has learned from multiple sources with direct knowledge of the comments, including former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO). The dinner, sources said, took place on the eve of the House’s passage of two relatively minor immigration bills at the end of June: Kate’s Law and sanctuary city reforms. The far wider reaching Davis-Oliver Act was tabled at the same time. “Ryan told a group of Republicans he met with … that only...

Congressman Justin Amash (R-MI) was the only Republican to vote against Kate’s Law, a law that would impose harsher penalties on deported aliens who try to return to the United States. Kate’s Law passed through the House 257 to 167, 24 Democrats voted for the bill. Congressman Amash was the only Republican to vote against Kate’s Law. Kate’s Law was named after Kate Steinle, a San Francisco woman murdered by an illegal immigrant who remained in the United States despite multiple deportations. The Michigan lawmaker also voted against H.R. 3003, the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, a bill that would...

House Republicans took action Thursday to crack down on illegal immigrants and the cities that shelter them. One bill passed by the House would deny federal grants to sanctuary cities and another, Kate’s Law, would increase the penalties for deported aliens who try to return to the United States. Kate's Law, which would increase the penalties for deported aliens who try to return to the United States and caught, passed with a vote of 257 to 157, with one Republican voting no and 24 Democrats voting yes. Kate's Law is named for Kate Steinle, a San Francisco woman killed by...

Our elected officials need to start doing the right thing for all residents, for all CITIZENS. Cites must be sanctuaries for citizens, for there is no city without citizens After eight years of Obama’s immigration lawlessness, sanctuary cities like San Francisco are facing severe scrutiny. For too long, they have proudly refused to cooperate with federal authorities to deport illegal aliens. Until recently, elected officials delayed enforcement. The American people want enforcement. As U.S. Senator Ted Cruz announced on the floor of the Senate during the 2013 Gang of Eight deliberations, the American People should not have to barter for...

The Republican-controlled Senate failed to advance legislation defunding sanctuary cities and increasing minimum punishments for previously-deported illegal aliens caught breaking back into the U.S. on Wednesday, gaining only 53 and 55 votes, respectively; 60 were needed to proceed w/both bills. Sponsored by Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, bill would have stripped funding from jurisdictions refusinh to cooperate w/federal immigration authorities when arresting illegal aliens suspected of committing further crimes and work to prevent lawful deportation proceedings. Immigration enforcement advocates have called Kate’s Law, introduced by Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, “mainly symbolic,” with Center for Immigration Studies president Mark Kirkorian...

The United States Senate is scheduled to hold a procedural vote on Wednesday on two bills related to immigration enforcement. The sanctuary cities and “Kate’s Law” bills were combined last year, but failed to overcome the 60-vote threshold needed to proceed to the bill. Senate Democrats blocked the combined bill in October 2015. The two bills were separated this time around because of concerns that some have about a mandatory minimum sentences provision of Kate’s Law. The sanctuary cities bill, officially titled Senate Bill 3100 (the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act), allows state and local law enforcement to cooperate with...

Ted Cruz has been on the Senate floor fighting for the passage of Kate's law, the law named for Kate Steinle who was murdered by an illegal alien in July of this year. The bill would block states and cities from receiving federal law enforcement funding if they refuse to communicate with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement due to that state or city's "sanctuary city" policies.One of the bills most vocal opponents has been Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. During yesterday's debate on the Senate floor, Reid falsely characterized the bill as one that would "tear innocent families apart."Senator Cruz fired...

Wednesday during his opening “Talking Points Memo” segment on Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” host Bill O’Reilly condemned outgoing Senate Minority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) for blocking a vote on the so-called Kate’s Law, a law that O’Reilly supports that would make a five-year prison term mandatory for any illegal that is convicted of an aggravated felony in the United States and then returns after deportation.

Ted Cruz Scolds Harry Reid, Dems on Senate Floor After Objection to Unanimous Consent on 'Kate's Law' Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sternly scolded Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on the Senate floor Wednesday after the Democrat objected to his motion for unanimous consent on "Kate's Law," which would implement mandatory minimum sentences for illegal immigrant felons.CSPANReid argued that the mandatory minimum sentencing of criminal illegal aliens would have dire monetary consequences due to the increase in people incarcerated in America's jails.In response, Cruz delivered an excoriating attack on Democrats."I'm sorry that the Democratic party doesn't want to spend the money to...

Kate Steinle was murdered by an illegal immigrant in San Francisco this summer. After the tragedy, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) introduced Kate's Law to punish criminals who have been deported numerous times.The legislation didn't get far before Democrats stopped the effort on the Senate floor. A new Rasmussen Reports survey, however, proves they acted against the majority of Americans. Fifty-six percent (56%) of Likely U.S. Voters favor a five-year mandatory prison sentence for illegal immigrants convicted of major felonies who return to America after being deported. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 27% oppose such legislation, while...

Sen. Marco Rubio is backing a push to increase penalties for undocumented immigrants who reenter the country after previously being deported. The Florida Republican signed onto legislation from fellow 2016 White House hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Thursday, according to the Congressional Record. Under Cruz's legislation, undocumented immigrants face additional prison time if they reenter the country after being deported, including a minimum five-year sentence if they were previously convicted of an aggravated felony or of illegally reentering the country twice. The Texas Republican is expected to come to the Senate floor next week to try to pass the...

Watch the video of Ted Cruz on O'Reilly Factor. On the "O'Reilly Factor" Wednesday, Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) condemned Democrats for "choosing to stand with convicted felons like the murderer of Kate Steinle rather than with the American people."In his exchange with host Bill O'Reilly, Cruz discussed the Democrats' vote to block "Kate's Law," the measure named after Steinle that would impose a mandatory five-year sentence to any illegal immigrant that is deported and then found to have illegally returned to the U.S. Steinle was murdered by an convicted felon, multi-time deported illegal immigrant who was sheltered...

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will try to pass legislation on Thursday that would increase penalties for undocumented immigrants who reenter the country after being deported. Under the legislation, undocumented immigrants could face additional prison time if they reenter the country, including a minimum five-year sentence if they were previously convicted of an aggravated felony or of illegally reentering the country twice. The proposal — referred to as "Kate's Law" after Kathryn Steinle, who was shot allegedly by an illegal immigrant who had already been deported five times — was fast-tracked on the Senate floor Thursday. The procedural move allows it...

Watch the video of the interview. On "The O'Reilly Factor tonight, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz reacted to reports that former President George W. Bush doesn't like him. At a closed door fundraiser for his brother Jeb Bush Sunday, Bush said he does "not like that guy," referring to Cruz, according to reports. Cruz told Bill O'Reilly that he likes and respects President Bush, and he isn't surprised that Bush is supporting his brother's campaign. "He's attacking the candidates that they see as a threat to that campaign," Cruz suggested. Cruz added that he met his wife while working for...

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called on Republican leadership on Tuesday to attach “Kate’s Law” to “must-pass legislation” if Democrats decided to block the proposed bill to punish sanctuary cities following the death of Kate Steinle — which they did. Under the bill, sanctuary cities, like San Francisco, that refuse to collect immigration information and refuse to comply with federal authorities would be punished by getting stripped of certain grants and funds. Cruz told fellow senators that criminal illegal aliens have “a special disregard and disdain for our nation’s law” and, in 2012, “just over a quarter of the illegal aliens...

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called on Republican leadership on Tuesday to attach “Kate’s Law” to “must-pass legislation” if Democrats decided to block the proposed bill to punish sanctuary cities following the death of Kate Steinle — which they did. Under the bill, sanctuary cities, like San Francisco, that refuse to collect immigration information and refuse to comply with federal authorities would be punished by getting stripped of certain grants and funds....“So I salute leadership for bringing up this vote, but if a party-line vote blocks it, then the next step is not simply to have a vote. The next step...