A handful of leading Republican senators have introduced legislation that would allow victims of violent crime in sanctuary cities to sue the municipalities for putting citizens in harm’s way.
The “Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act,” introduced in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, aims to “hold sanctuary jurisdictions accountable for failing to comply with lawful detainer and release notification requests made by federal authorities and jeopardizing public safety.”
The bill was introduced by Sen. Thom Tillis and co-sponsored by Sens. Lindsey Graham, Chuck Grassley, Joni Ernst, Marsha Blackburn, and Ted Cruz.
“It’s disturbing to see sheriffs across North Carolina establish sanctuary jurisdictions, releasing dangerous individuals back into communities while refusing to notify federal immigration officials,” Tills said. “If politicians want to prioritize reckless sanctuary policies over public safety, they should also be willing to provide just compensation for the victims.”
A sanctuary city is one that has indicated it will not cooperate with federal immigration authorities seeking to locate and detain illegal immigrants.
There are dozens of these across the country, including major U.S. cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
The merits of this policy has been derided by Republicans as an influx of immigrants at the U.S. southern border with Mexico has overwhelmed border patrol officials and led to improper conditions at detention facilities.
