Law would have seen crackdown on illegal immigrants.
By Raif Karerat
Democrats swiftly blocked a bid by Senate Republicans to toughen immigration laws on Tuesday that would have seen a significant crackdown on cities that decline to cooperate with federal immigration officials.
One of the loudest proponents of Tuesday’s sanctuary cities measure – which also boosts mandatory minimum prison sentences for some immigrants who repeatedly enter the country illegally – was Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who has promoted his so-called “Kate’s Law” on the campaign trail. The measure is also supported by presidential candidate Marco Rubio (R-Fl.).
The vote comes more than three months after Kate Steinle, 32, was fatally shot in San Francisco by a man who authorities say was in the United States illegally.
“Americans are tired of seeing their laws flouted and their communities plagued by the horrible crime that typically accompanies illegal immigration,” Cruz said on the Senate floor Tuesday, according to Politico. “But for too long, the pleas of the American people on this issue have gone unheeded here in Washington.”
Meanwhile, Democrats bristled, arguing that the bill would only further isolate the immigrant community. Throughout the proceedings, Democrats repeatedly referenced the GOP presidential frontrunner, with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) branding the legislation the “Donald Trump Act.”
“That anti-immigrant rhetoric has made its way to the Senate floor, courtesy of Donald Trump, and some Republicans eager to capitalize on this rhetoric for their own political gain,” said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). “This is nothing more than an offensive, anti-immigrant bill.”
The legislation, authored by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), would cut off key federal law enforcement grants to localities that are deemed sanctuary cities, which are localities that decline to cooperate with immigration officials because they believe federal policies can invite racial profiling and harm local policing strategies.
Vitter’s legislation would also implement a five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence for some immigrants who tried to return here after being deported, such as immigrants with an aggravated felony on their record or those who had already been convicted twice of illegally re-entering the country.