CongressmanBob Goodlatte

Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after all six Roanoke City Council candidates expressed support for making Roanoke a “sanctuary city,” which shields individuals from the enforcement of federal immigration laws: 

“It may be April Fool’s Day, but this is no joking matter. It is extremely alarming that anyone seeking elected office would support this wrongheaded policy. Sanctuary cities needlessly endanger American lives by adopting public policies refusing to cooperate with the federal government to enforce immigration laws. These sanctuary cities are known to become magnets for gangs, drug dealers, and other criminal aliens as safe havens to avoid apprehension, detention, and deportation under our immigration laws. The preventable tragedies as a result of this are all too common. The unlawful criminal alien who went on to murder Kate Steinle on a pier in San Francisco was previously detained by San Francisco police on drug charges. However, he was released by city officials. Why? Because San Francisco is a sanctuary city. 

“Why is it more important to shield dangerous criminal aliens from immigration enforcement than it is to protect the people of Roanoke? In representing Roanoke and the Sixth Congressional District in Congress, I do not want to see a single life lost or any additional victims of other crimes at the hands of criminal aliens. I hope the City of Roanoke remains with the many thousands of local governments in the U.S. that do not support so-called sanctuary city policies. Our immigration laws must be enforced and respect for the rule of law maintained.”

Legislative Action: In July 2015, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3009, the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act, which would withhold several federal grants from states or localities that refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts and threaten the safety of their communities. Additionally, H.R. 1148, the Michael Davis, Jr. and Danny Oliver in Honor of State and Local Law Enforcement Act, was approved by the House Judiciary Committee last year. Among the bill’s provisions, it also would withhold specific grants from sanctuary cities that defy federal immigration enforcement efforts. Additionally, it would end the President’s ability to shut down immigration enforcement efforts unilaterally and would protect the American public by facilitating and expediting the removal of criminal aliens.