Senate Democrats blocked a bill Tuesday that would have punished “sanctuary cities” that protect undocumented immigrants from being turned over to federal agents to face deportation.
Senators voted 54-45 to advance the legislation, falling six votes short of the 60 needed.
The bill offered by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., would have cut off law enforcement grants–including money to hire police officers–to more than 300 cities, counties and states with sanctuary policies. The legislation also would have stripped them of community development block grants, which are used to provide housing to low-income and moderate-income families and to help communities recover from natural disasters.
Republicans urged action in the wake of the July 1 murder of 32-year-old Kate Steinle, who was shot to death while walking on a San Francisco Pier with her father. Her alleged killer, Francisco Sanchez, a 45-year-old Mexican national, had been deported five times for multiple felonies and was released from a San Francisco County Jail last spring without being turned over to federal immigration authorities. ...
Posts
