Edwards introduces bill to demand justice for victims of sanctuary cities

U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) introduced the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act today to provide justice for victims and their families who are harmed by an illegal immigrant due to sanctuary city policies. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) is leading the Senate companion bill.

Sanctuary cities endanger the public by refusing to abide by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests or refusing to share information about illegal immigrants who are in custody and have criminal records. These sanctuary jurisdictions have allowed the release of dangerous illegals into communities, compromising public safety. This legislation would countermand those misguided policies.

“Sanctuary cities are compromising Americans’ safety by refusing to cooperate with ICE, allowing the release of illegal immigrants with criminal records to freely roam the streets in our neighborhoods,” said Edwards. “The Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act that I introduced will help address the harmful effects of sanctuary policies by bringing justice for victims and the families of those who have been harmed by an illegal immigrant in a sanctuary jurisdiction. This administration’s open border policies continue to have devastating consequences, and this bill will bring justice for Americans who are harmed due to sanctuary cities ignoring federal immigration law enforcement.”

“For too long, we have watched local jurisdictions in North Carolina and across the country ignore the lawful notification and detainer requests made by ICE agents and instead release dangerous criminals back into their communities and put innocent lives at risk,” said Senator Tillis. “If liberal politicians want to prioritize reckless sanctuary policies over public safety, they should also be willing to provide just compensation for the victims. The Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act is commonsense legislation that will enhance public safety and hold sanctuary jurisdictions accountable for their refusal to cooperate with federal law enforcement.”

The Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act would:

• Prohibit certain federal grants for sanctuary jurisdictions, without withholding disaster recovery or law enforcement grants.
• Establish a private right of action for a victim or victim’s family to bring a civil suit against a state or a state’s political subdivision that failed to honor a lawful immigration detainer request made by the Department of Homeland Security.
• Make sure that a state or state’s political subdivision is not deemed a “sanctuary jurisdiction” based solely on situations in which officials do not share information or comply with detainers for illegal immigrants who come forward as a victim or witness to a criminal offense.
• Allow the victim to seek reasonable attorneys’ fees.