Washington, DC — The House Judiciary Committee passed Mother Lode Republican Congressman Tom McClintock’s H.R. 7640, which he entitled the Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act.
He notes that the bill asserts federal supremacy over enforcement of immigration law by pre-empting sanctuary jurisdictions from interfering with local enforcement of immigration law. It allows local law enforcement offices in sanctuary states to work directly with federal law enforcement agencies to uphold immigration laws, protects local law enforcement officers from being sued or harassed by sanctuary jurisdictions, and re-directs federal law enforcement funds from sanctuary jurisdictions to those cooperating with federal agencies. It also gives victims of criminals released by sanctuary jurisdictions the right to sue for damages caused by those releases.
McClintock argues, “The local sheriffs in my district want desperately to cooperate with ICE to enforce our immigration laws, but the State of California forbids them from doing so. My bill will allow them to work directly with the federal government to keep their counties safe and to receive the funds that would otherwise go to sanctuary jurisdictions.”
The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee, 22-11, and it now moves to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
During the Judiciary Committee debate, many Democrats in opposition argued that the bill is an “assault on the 10th Amendment,” which provides protections to states.
