Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) introduced a bill to hold mayors of sanctuary cities accountable for enabling crimes committed by illegal immigrants.
“Laken Riley and countless other loved ones could still be alive today if our immigration laws were respected by mayors of sanctuary cities,” Carter said. “As far as I’m concerned, they have blood on their hands and should be held personally accountable for creating a lawless environment that allows criminal illegal aliens to commit murder.”
The bill, called the Establishing Responsibility for Illegals’ Crimes and Adding Deterrence and Accountability for Mayors’ Sanctuary Cities (ERIC ADAMS) Act, forces mayors to comply with federal law relating to immigration enforcement or face up to seven years in prison. The legislation establishes “criminal liability for mayors of sanctuary cities in cases of murder committed by undocumented immigrants within their jurisdiction,” it reads.
The bill is one of several recent pieces of legislation demanding compliance with federal immigration law. A similar bill, introduced by Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), bans the Department of Transportation from providing federal funds to sanctuary cities. The No DOT Funds for Sanctuary Cities Act looks to bar the Secretary of Transportation from “entering into, extending, or renewing a contract with, or awarding a grant to, a sanctuary city.”
Carter’s bill comes days after the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against New York City, Mayor Eric Adams, and other city officials to challenge sanctuary policies.
“New York City has released thousands of criminals on the streets to commit violent crimes against law-abiding citizens due to sanctuary city policies,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “If New York City won’t stand up for the safety of its citizens, we will.”
