U.S. House bars funding for ‘sanctuary’ cities for immigrants

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to deny funding to cities that do not report undocumented immigrants to federal authorities, setting off outcry from the White House and immigration advocates.

 

The bill, approved by a vote of 241 to 179 largely along party lines, was largely a Republican response to the recent killing of a San Francisco woman, allegedly at the hands of an immigrant man.

 

San Francisco is a so-called sanctuary city whose police refrain from routinely checking immigration status and sharing that information with federal authorities, who would act to deport them.

 

Republicans say such communication would have prevented the death of Kathryn Steinle, 32, who was shot by Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant and convicted felon who was deported to Mexico five times.

 

The sanctuary cities, which include New York, say the policy builds trust between police and immigrants, who might otherwise be afraid to report crimes.

 

But the murder has strengthened the call from conservative proponents of tough immigration policy who maintain the Obama administration is not doing enough to weed out threats posed by undocumented immigrants.

 

Though the practice ignores immigration law, the cities have not been prosecuted by the Obama administration.

 

Read More: U.S. House bars funding for ‘sanctuary’ cities for immigrants | Reuters

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