Goodlatte Praises House Passage of Bill to Crack Down on Dangerous Sanctuary Cities

Washington, D.C. – The House of Representatives today approved by a vote of 241-179 the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act (H.R. 3009). This bill withholds several federal grants from states or localities that refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts and threaten the safety of their communities. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) praised the passage of this legislation in the statement below.

Chairman Goodlatte: “Sanctuary city policies needlessly endanger American lives by refusing to honor the federal government’s authority to enforce immigration laws. Unfortunately, the Obama Administration’s own foolish policies enable rogue local governments to defy federal immigration laws. All too often, these reckless policies create preventable tragedies.

“Today, the House of Representatives took a good first step towards addressing this public safety problem, but more must be done. President Obama’s lack of interior enforcement has made the United States a sanctuary nation. As a result of the Obama Administration’s foolish policies, hundreds of thousands of criminal aliens are currently roaming free in the United States. We must pass additional legislation, such as Congressman Gowdy’s interior enforcement bill, so that we stop the President from unilaterally shutting down immigration enforcement.”

Background: Earlier today, the House Judiciary Committee’s Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee held a hearing to examine dangerous policies adopted by some state and local governments that refuse to honor the federal government’s authority to enforce immigration laws, and the Obama Administration’s complicity in this problem. At the hearing, Jim Steinle, the father of Kate Steinle, testified before the Subcommittee.

In March 2015, the Committee approved the Davis-Oliver Act (H.R. 1148), a comprehensive interior enforcement bill authored by Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.). Among its provisions, the bill makes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers mandatory, withholds specific federal grants from jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts, and requires the detention of dangerous criminal aliens.