generalspeaking

Immigrant Sanctuary

"Most of the blame should fall squarely on the shoulders of the San Francisco sheriff, because his department had custody of him [Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, illegal immigrant] and made the choice to let him go without notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
Jessica Vaughan, director, policy studies, Center for Immigration Studies, Washington

"So I picked it up and it started to fire on its own."
"I only want to say that if the court wants to find me guilty, I wouldn't get mad."
Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez 

"ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] knew that he had been deported five times. You would have thought he met a threshhold that he required a court order or a warrant. They did not do that."
Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, San Francisco

Immigration, illegal migrants, and their status in the United States has been a hotly contested concern for years as one administration after another has tried to come to grips with the millions of illegals living in the country, and the status of their children. A new flashpoint has arisen over a Mexican man who had been deported no fewer than five times to his native Mexico, only to return each time to the United States, illegally.

Unlike most other illegal migrants who work hard and hope for the best for their families as they live in a state of illegality, Juan Sanchez has a criminal record, and he was slated for his sixth removal from the States back to Mexico. San Francisco officials decided to release Mr. Sanchez despite that they were aware that federal immigration authorities had begun the process of removing him.

Evidently, San Francisco prides itself as being a haven for illegal migrants, the city established an official policy in fact, reflecting how they regard themselves as "sanctuary city", not to harass illegals. The city's sanctuary law actually prohibits city employees from aiding federal authorities in their immigration investigations, or with arrests, unless a warrant is presented.

Dozens of cities and counties across the United States have chosen similarly not to fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities, in fact. Mr. Sanchez himself, as a repeat drug offender at 45 years of age, stated that he had arrived in the city seeking refuge because of its known penchant for offering sanctuary to illegal migrants.

"Our policy should not be informed by our collective outrage about one man's conduct", pointed out California Attorney General Kamala Harris, formerly a San Francisco district attorney, and currently a candidate for the U.S. Senate. And no one could possibly argue that point. The mayor of San Francisco stated that city policy did not intend the protection of "repeat, serious and violent felons".

Mr. Sanchez was released in April from federal prison where he was serving time for a relatively minor drug offense. Last week he fatally shot a 32-year-old woman who was walking along the waterfront area in San Francisco in the company of her father. Mr. Sanchez described discovering a gun wrapped in a shirt, under a bench on the pedestrian pier.

Kate Steinie, left; Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez right: thesfnews.com

The gun, he said, went off when he picked it up. He immediately kicked it into San Francisco Bay, walking off, unaware, he stated, that he had shot someone. When police arrested him an hour later on a street corner nearby where the incident took place, he informed them that he had been shooting at sea lions. A rambling, confused explanation for the death of a young woman.

Would a petty criminal who was likely under the influence of drugs at the time of the dreadful incident have had a motive? Surely it was an accident that the weapon which was in fact stolen from a federal agent, was aimed at her? Does that, however, make a difference? She is dead and that is forever. He is the shooter, whatever the circumstances, and obviously guilty.

Labels: Crime, Immigration, Justice, Tragedy, United States

posted by Pieface @ Friday, July 10, 2015