Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced a bill that allows victims of migrant crime in sanctuary cities to sue those areas.
“For far too long, we have watched local jurisdictions in North Carolina and across the country ignore the lawful notification and detainer requests made by ICE agents and instead release dangerous criminals back into their communities, putting innocent lives at risk,” Tillis said. “I am committed to working with President [Donald] Trump to end illegal immigration and fight sanctuary cities that prioritize reckless, lawless policies over public safety.”
Ten other Republicans joined Tillis in S 185. The bill provides a “civil remedy for individuals harmed by sanctuary jurisdiction policies, and for other purposes.”
According to the bill, “Any individual, or a spouse, parent, or child of such individual (if the individual is deceased or permanently incapacitated), who is the victim of a murder, rape, or any felony (as defined by the State in which the crime occurred) for which an alien has been arrested, convicted, or sentenced to a term of imprisonment of at least 1 year, may bring an action for compensatory damages against a State or a political subdivision of a State, in the appropriate Federal or State court.”
Action may be taken within 10 years of the crime.
Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) introduced companion legislation in the House.
“Sanctuary cities have shielded many of the nearly 650,000 criminal illegal immigrants in the United States from facing the consequences for their violent crimes against innocent Americans for too many years. Sanctuary cities cannot continue to jeopardize Americans’ safety without being held accountable for their role in the illegal immigrant crime crisis we are facing today,” Edwards said.
He explained his bill would “finally hold these communities responsible when their harmful, illegal policies result in a crime against an American citizen, and will allow the victim to take legal action against counties, cities, or towns for the dangerous policies that directly led to their harm.”
The bill would further “withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities if they continue to refuse to enforce federal immigration law and put American lives at risk,” the release says.
