On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 241-179 for H.R. 3009, the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act. President Obama has threatened to veto the bill that would withhold federal law enforcement grants from localities that refuse to comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers.
Arizona Rep. Matt Salmon issued a statement after voting in favor of the bill he introduced with Rep. Duncan Hunter. “I cosponsored this legislation and I will continue to fight for Americans that desperately want our immigration laws are properly enforced at every level of government,” stated Salmon. “We hear about ‘vulnerable cities,’ but how about vulnerable Americans? We hear about ‘sanctuary’ for thugs like Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, but shouldn’t our cities be a sanctuary for law-abiding citizens like Grant Ronnebeck and Kate Steinle?”
“All of our governments must perform their most basic duty—to keep those consenting to their constitution safe. ‘Sanctuary cities’ deliberately violate this duty by playing political games with the lives of law-abiding Americans to harbor those who willfully violate our laws. Make no mistake; this is a very important bill. It’s also only a first step,” said Salmon. He argued that other reforms, such as those found in Grant’s Law and Kate’s Law are desperately needed.”