Goodlatte Statement on Secretary Johnson’s Comments on Sanctuary Cities

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the statement below regarding comments made yesterday by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson on sanctuary city policies during a talk at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco. Chairman Goodlatte: “While I agree that sanctuary city policies are unacceptable, it’s hypocritical for Secretary Johnson to criticize sanctuary cities while at the same time refusing to take the steps necessary to end these reckless policies. Under the Obama Administration, political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security have emboldened states and cities to adopt sanctuary city policies by publicly stating they can choose whether or not to comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Additionally, the Administration’s so-called enforcement priorities allow millions of unlawful and criminal aliens to evade the law and stay in the U.S. As a result of both sanctuary city policies and the Obama Administration’s lack of immigration enforcement, criminal aliens continue to be released into our communities and threaten public safety. “Tragically, Kate Steinle lost her life due to these irresponsible policies. Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement informed the House Judiciary Committee that they would likely have turned Steinle’s murderer, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, over to San Francisco authorities had they had him in custody first, despite knowing that the city would not honor a detainer to return him to ICE custody. San Francisco’s sanctuary policy and ICE’s complicit attitude toward non-compliance by sanctuary cities were the catalyst for this needless tragedy.  Even if Sanchez was returned to ICE, there is no guarantee that he would have been removed because of the agency’s history of releasing known felons in its custody. “If Secretary Johnson is truly committed to ending dangerous sanctuary city policies, he must work with Congress to ensure federal immigration detainers are mandatory and sanction states and cities that continue to stonewall federal immigration enforcement efforts. Without such action, Secretary Johnson’s words are all bark and no bite.” Background:

• In July, the House Judiciary Committee held an oversight hearing on the Department of Homeland Security. At the hearing, Secretary Johnson admitted that he is unwilling to make U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers mandatory, which are the tools used by the federal government to pick up unlawful and criminal aliens being held at local jails.
• The House Judiciary Committee’s Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee held a hearing in July to examine the 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, Chairman Goodlatte questioned witnesses regarding the best policies for the removal of criminal aliens before they commit more violent crimes in society.
• In late July, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3009, the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act, which if enacted would be a good first step toward ending sanctuary city policies.
• Legislation authored by Immigration and Border Security Chairman Trey Gowdy – H.R. 1148, the Michael Davis, Jr. and Danny Oliver in Honor of State and Local Law Enforcement Act – contains the best legislative solution to end sanctuary cities and the Obama Administration’s policies that encourage them.
• More information on the Obama Administration’s lack of immigration enforcement can be found here.

###