Rep. Calvert Backs Bills to Enforce Our Immigration Laws

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) signed on as an original cosponsor on two bills that enhanced the enforcement of our immigration laws.

Rep. Calvert signed on as an original cosponsor of the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act, H.R. 3009, which will withhold federal law enforcement funding for states and localities that circumvent the federal government's efforts to enforce our immigration laws. Rep. Calvert also signed on as an original cosponsor of "Kate's Law," H.R. 3011, which will ensure that any adult illegal immigrant, who is deported from the US and chooses to again enter our country illegally, will face a sentence of no less than five years in prison.

"There's little disagreement that our immigration system is broken and while there are many areas within the broader immigration debate where there is disagreement, there is a bipartisan sentiment that illegal immigrants who break our laws should be deported," said Rep. Calvert. "So-called "sanctuary cities" – like San Francisco – have policies that often make our illegal immigration problems worse, not better.

Last week, Kathryn Steinle, an innocent 32 year-old woman was shot and killed in a senseless act of violence while she was walking on a San Francisco pier with her family. The alleged shooter was a man who was in the country illegal and who had previously been deported five times. The man had seven felony drug convictions and in April the San Francisco Sheriff's Office released him even though U.S. authorities requested that they hold him until they could take him into custody for deportation proceedings.