Thread: Bill introduced to prohibit Michigan ‘sanctuary cities' for illegal immigrants

By Carol Hopkins, Posted: 07/15/15, 12:28 PM EDT | Updated: 2 hrs ago

LANSING — After a woman was reportedly killed by an illegal immigrant in California, an area legislator has introduced a state bill in Lansing that would prohibit local units of government from enacting or enforcing “sanctuary city” laws

Sanctuary cities prevent local employees from notifying federal authorities of illegal immigrants living in their communities. According to www.sanctuarycities.info, Detroit and Ann Arbor are listed as sanctuary cities.

Michigan Senate Majority Floor Leader Mike Kowall, R-White Lake, introduced the measure.

“It’s a blatant violation of federal law,” said Kowall. “I don’t understand how they can do this.”

Kowall’s measure, Senate Bill 445, also would prohibit any state funding or other resources from going to sanctuary cities.

“The recent tragic death of Kate Steinle in San Francisco at the hands of an illegal alien — who also was a repeat felon who had been deported five times — should be a wake-up call for all of us,” said Kowall.

“Because of San Francisco’s sanctuary city policy, that city ignored a request by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency regarding the suspect in Steinle’s murder.

“Her death could have been prevented. We must put an end to sanctuary cities in Michigan so a similar tragedy doesn’t occur here. It’s a very hot issue right now.”

Kowall announced that he had set up an online petition, www.signtostop.com, calling for the prohibition of sanctuary cities in Michigan.

“We already have had thousands of Michiganders sign the petition calling for an end to sanctuary cities,” Kowall said. “I am encouraged by the response and I urge all Michiganders to sign.”

He said he would take the signatures and show them to the legislators from the affected cities.

“We’ll show them how many are in favor of this changing,” he said.

While Kowall is working to eliminate the threat of sanctuary cities in Michigan, he supports efforts underway to welcome skilled legal immigrants to Michigan.

“I myself am from a family of immigrants who came to America legally to pursue the American dream and live under our laws,” Kowall said.

“Successful companies like Dow and Meijer were created by legal immigrants, and it is important to recognize that in just the past decade alone, more than 30 percent of high-tech businesses created in Michigan were created by immigrants. We need to make sure that vital workers in the agriculture and tourism sectors come to our state legally.”

He said programs encouraging foreign students to receive education and training from Michigan universities should continue, and “we must do all we can to keep those individuals here in Michigan after they graduate.”

Kowall said he supports the proposed expansion of certain employment-based visas for skilled legal immigrants and workers. There are five types of special visas that permit a non-citizen to be a legal guest and earn employment-based permanent residency.

http://www.dailytribune.com/governme...gal-immigrants

The murder of that young American woman is still generating some welcome actions which would have been unthinkable before she was shot by an illegal alien. It's a disheartening way to get action which supports Americans.
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