Virginia Senate Passes Bill to Crack Down on 'Sanctuary Cities'
Posted: Feb 06, 2017 3:00 PM PST
Updated: Feb 06, 2017 4:02 PM PST
The Virginia Senate narrowly passed a bill Monday that targets sanctuary cities.
Republicans say this effort is designed to hold cities and counties accountable if those communities won't cooperate with the federal government over illegal immigration.
If the measure is approved,Virginia communities could be sued for crimes committed by illegal immigrants.
Republicans says it's time to crack down on local leaders who go against federal law, but Democrats say this bill would just create more problems.
On a 21 to 19 party line vote, the Virginia state Senate passed SB 1262.
"It prevents the situation which is becoming increasingly common across the country where you have localities that say: we don't care what the federal law says, we don't like federal immigration law, and we invite people to come here and we're going to shield you from legal process," said Senator Richard "Dick" Black, R-13th District.
Local governments with policies or procedures deliberately blocking federal immigration authorities would have to pay up for damage caused by illegal immigrants.
The lawmaker behind the legislation, GOP state Senator Dick Black, says victims often have little recourse in these situations.
"If the locality has set itself up as a sanctuary city, then anyone who is the victim of an illegal alien and suffers damage - property damage, personal injury - is going to be compensated by the locality," said Black.
But Democrats pushed back on that idea, arguing taxpayers shouldn't be responsible for these incidents.
Others feel it's up to the federal government to sort out these problems.
“This is unenforceable, it's a politically charged bill. It has no business being on the floor," said Senator John Edwards, D-21st District.
The debate on the floor, at times, hinted at the deep divide between the Trump White House threatening to withhold funds from sanctuary cities, and those who defend the policy.
"The reference that these counties are harboring all these murderers and armed robbers and rapists and variety implying that's that what basically undocumented people are - to put it mildly - is sheer nonsense," said Senator Richard "Dick" Saslaw, D-35th District.
The national discussion continues to trickle down across Virginia.
On Monday, the Mayor of Richmond, Levar Stoney, issued a directive to the local police department, saying it will not participate in immigration customs enforcement agreements. This re-affirms the existing practice of Richmond city law enforcement.
http://www.nbc29.com/story/34439225/...nctuary-cities
