Shooting linked to illegal immigrant stirs debate
San Francisco had released offender
San Francisco — The killing of a woman at a sightseeing pier has brought criticism on this liberal city because the Mexican man under arrest was in the U.S. illegally, had been deported five times and was out on the streets after city officials disregarded a request from immigration authorities to keep him locked up.
San Francisco is one of dozens of cities and counties across the country that do not fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The city goes so far as to promote itself as a sanctuary for people in the country illegally.
In a jailhouse interview with a TV station, Francisco Sanchez, the 45-year-old repeat drug offender arrested in the shooting Wednesday of Kathryn Steinle, appeared to confirm that he came to the city because of its status as a sanctuary.
Prosecutors on Monday charged Sanchez with murder as Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi defended his office’s release of Sanchez and pointed the finger back at Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
He said the federal agency should have issued an arrest warrant for Sanchez.
“ICE knew that he had been deported five times,” Mirkarimi said. “You would have thought he met a threshold that he required a court order or a warrant. They did not do that.”
The case has prompted a flurry of criticism from ICE officials, politicians and commenters on social media, all of whom portrayed the slaying as a preventable tragedy.
“Most of the blame should fall squarely on the shoulders of the San Francisco sheriff, because his department had custody of him and made the choice to let him go without notifying ICE,” said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, which wants tougher immigration enforcement.
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (RVa.), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, blamed sanctuary practices and the Obama administration, saying: “The tragic murder of Kate Steinle once again underscores the need to end these reckless policies.”
Mayor Ed Lee issued a statement saying city policy was never intended to protect “repeat, serious and violent felons.” He asked for federal and local agencies to review what happened.
Mourners held a vigil at the downtown waterfront, where the 32-year-old Steinle was gunned down Wednesday, seemingly at random, during a stroll.