WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Senator Tillis delivered a floor speech to call on the Senate to unanimously pass his Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act. Even though Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats declined to criticize the substance and goal of Tillis’ legislation during a committee hearing just a few weeks ago, Senate Democrats today blocked Tillis’ attempt to pass his bill to hold sanctuary cities accountable and provide justice for the victims of their reckless refusal to enforce existing immigration laws.
Watch Senator Tillis’ floor speech HERE.
“The people that are in these jails have been charged with a crime, and in many cases a serious crime,” said Senator Tillis. “Two weeks ago, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff made the decision to release four people, one charged with murder, two charged with indecent liberties with a minor, and one charged with heroin trafficking. They were illegally present, but they were not in jail because they had simply crossed the border or had a visa expire.”
“What I've decided we need to do is at least provide a private right of civil action to a victim of that unwise decision. So if that charged murderer or heroin trafficker goes out and assaults someone, I think that that person who gets harmed should be able to bring a case against that governmental entity that has a sanctuary policy,” Senator Tillis continued.
Senator Tillis’ legislation holds sanctuary jurisdictions accountable for failing to comply with lawful detainer and release notification requests made by federal authorities. It creates a private right of civil action for the victims of sanctuary jurisdictions, allowing them to bring an action for compensatory damages against the sanctuary jurisdiction as a result of a violent crime committed by an illegal immigrant. Any sanctuary city or jurisdiction that refuses to waive its immunity as it relates to sanctuary-related civil action would be subject to the withholding of certain Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding.
The Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act is a direct response to a growing number of sanctuary jurisdictions in North Carolina that are refusing to comply with detainer requests and release notifications from the Department of Homeland Security.
WBTV recently reported data detailing that nearly 500 illegal immigrants were released from North Carolina jails over the last 10 months after being charged with crimes like sex offenses, kidnapping, arson and homicide. The illegal immigrants were released from jail after local sheriffs refused to comply with detainer requests made by ICE.
Last week alone, ICE announced three different releases – in Wake County, Buncombe County, and Mecklenburg County – where local officials ignored ICE’s detainer requests.
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