San Francisco sheriff Ross Mirkarimi openly defies federal law and grants sanctuary to thousands of illegal alien criminals in the very left wing city of San Francisco.
Now, even in this enclave of the Far Left, sanctuary city policies are under fire as he battles to retain his post in a tight re-election battle.
The pivotal issue in the race is the city’s policy of shielding people in the country illegally from the reach of federal immigration officials. Mirkarimi’s interpretation of the policy came under scrutiny following the March jail release of an inmate despite a federal immigration request to detain him for possible deportation. A few months later on July 2, the Mexican national is alleged to have shot to death Kate Steinle, 32, as she walked with her father along San Francisco’s waterfront.
Mirkarimi said city law prohibits the department from cooperating with federal immigration officials unless they have a warrant, a position criticized by presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton along with U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and the mayor.
Hennessy said the sheriff’s order barring the San Francisco jail from cooperating with immigration officials is misguided. There are cases, she said, when federal immigration officials should be notified that the jail is about to release an inmate who is in the country illegally.
If the illegal alien lobby has lost San Francisco over sanctuary cities, then what excuse does the GOP leadership in Congress have for backing down from a fight to end sanctuary cities nationwide right now?
