SE North Carolina News

Today, a group of Republican senators introduced the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act in Washington, D.C. The bill, presented by Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Katie Britt (R-AL), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), James Lankford (R-OK), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) aims to address issues related to sanctuary cities.

The proposed legislation would allow victims of serious crimes committed by illegal aliens to sue sanctuary states or cities that did not comply with detainer requests. Additionally, it seeks to restrict certain federal grants from being awarded to these jurisdictions.

Senator Budd has previously led similar legislative efforts in the U.S. House in 2019 and 2021. He stated, "This is a matter of public safety and the rule of law. It’s long past time that cities who refuse to enforce our immigration laws face legal consequences." He emphasized the need for enforcing laws to prevent tragedies and expressed gratitude towards Senator Tillis for his leadership.

Senator Tillis commented on the issue as well: "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." He voiced his commitment to collaborating with President Trump to combat illegal immigration and criticized what he perceives as prioritization of political ideology over public safety by some politicians.