ICE needs to pay to detain deportees
Sanctuary cities should not pay to hold prisoners for immigration authorities
Jose Ines Garcia Zarate was found not guilty of the murder of Kate Steinle on Nov. 30. The verdict in the Steinle case has stirred up concerns about sanctuary cities.
Conservatives believe that sanctuary cities are safe havens for immigrants, but it is much more complex. It’s really a battle for resources.
The city loses limited prison space in order to detain someone for long periods.
The Young Turks, an online news channel, reported that when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detains a person, it does so indefinitely, and uses the city’s resources to do so.
It can take months for ICE to process the case.
Meanwhile, the city loses limited prison space in order to detain an individual for long periods of time, which is why cities like San Francisco refuse to work with ICE.
If ICE is going to detain people for long periods, it should come up with a better method that would treat immigrants with due process and basic human rights.
The murder trial of Steinle turned on the question of whether Garcia Zarate, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, intended to kill Steinle.
The Washington Post reported that prior to the shooting, Garcia Zarate entered the United States illegally six times using different names. He was released from jail for marijuana possession two and one-half months prior to the shooting and officials didn’t notify ICE. San Francisco is a sanctuary city, which means that local police officers cannot to take part in immigration enforcement.
Upon Garcia Zarate’s arrest, ICE wasn’t notified and it sought to deport Garcia Zarate, but failed to issue a warrant, which was needed to hold him. ICE’s failure to detain Garcia Zarate is what led to Steinle’s death.
