AP
July 10, 2015
Kathryn
Steinle, a medical device saleswoman who loved travel and dance, is the
newest symbol for those seeking stricter immigration enforcement. They
point to her death,
from a gun prosecutors say was fired by a Mexican man in the country
illegally after five deportations, as heart-wrenching evidence of the
need for tighter border controls.
The
story is burning up conservative talk radio, with hosts and callers
lamenting the senselessness of the seemingly random killing, expressing
anger that Juan Francisco
Lopez Sanchez still was in the country and consternation that San
Francisco authorities had rejected a request by federal immigration
authorities to hold him until they could take him into custody.
Daniel
Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform,
which advocates for tighter immigration controls, said his organization
has been doing six or
seven media interviews a day on the killing since the news broke last
week.
"You
have someone who has been repeatedly deported," he said. "In the end,
it so clearly illustrates the complete breakdown of the system."
Steinle,
32 of San Francisco, was gunned down July 1 while walking along a city
pier with her father. After Sanchez, whom authorities have identified as
45-year-old Mexico
native, was arrested it was revealed he had seven felony convictions
related to drugs and repeated illegal entries into the country. It also
became clear that the San Francisco Sheriff's Office, citing city policy
on immigrants with no violent criminal background,
released Sanchez in April despite a federal immigration request that
they hold him until U.S. authorities could take him into custody for
deportation proceedings.
Critics
across the country have slammed San Francisco as a too-liberal
"sanctuary" city that provides a haven for criminal immigrants. Some are
calling for a "Kate Steinle's
Law" to enhance enforcement.
Jesse
Watters, a correspondent with Bill O'Reilly's Fox News show, showed up
at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting this week and held up a
photo of a smiling
Steinle.
"I'm
not saying you pulled the trigger, but you're partially responsible.
Her last words were, 'Help me. Help me.' Why aren't you guys helping
her?" he asked.
Immigration
rights advocates say that Sanchez is a rare exception to the millions
of people who are in the country illegally but live lawful lives while
here. They say
that "sanctuary" cities like San Francisco seek to build trust within
that community, and that helps public safety.
"Every
time I talk about this, I feel so sad and so much loss for this
obviously beautiful young woman," said Julia Harumi Mass, a senior
attorney with the American Civil
Liberties Union of Northern California. "But it's really important that
we also recognize this is a terrible tragedy, one that would have been
difficult to foresee almost, it seems."
Laura
Polstein, an attorney with Centro Legal de la Raza, echoed a statement
made by many advocates of sanctuary protections: "The actions of one
person should not be
used to stereotype or criminalize the immigrant communities that are
part of the fabric of our city and state."
In
a jailhouse interview with a news reporter, Sanchez said he is 56 years
old and from Guanajuato, a picturesque town about a four-hour drive
northwest of Mexico City.
He said he found a gun under a bench and that it fired accidentally.
Police have said the gun was reported stolen from a car belonging to a
U.S. Bureau of Land Management ranger.
At
a court hearing this week, Sanchez appeared to know little English and
seemed confused at times. He repeated "I'm not guilty" to a question of
whether he wanted to
waive attendance at a future hearing. His attorney, public defender
Matt Gonzalez, said Sanchez has a second-grade education level.
Steinle's mother, Liz Sullivan of Pleasanton, described her daughter as strong and sensitive, deep and spiritual.
"We were best friends," Sullivan said. "She and I drew strength from each other, and I just feel that she's still here."
On
Thursday, family and friends held a private memorial for Steinle at a
winery in Pleasanton. The family requests that people who want to help
can donate to Steinle's
charity of choice, the Challenged Athletes Foundation, a San Diego fund
that provides sporting opportunities for disabled athletes.
Her
family has not taken an active role in the immigration debate since the
killing, but Sullivan said Sanchez should not have been free.
"Hopefully
out of this there will be stronger laws that will come about," she
said. "Maybe this will facilitate something to expedite it."
San
Francisco's handling of the case has drawn widespread criticism, even
from many in the Democratic Party, including Hillary Clinton and the
state's two U.S. senators,
Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. On the Republican side, Sen. Rand
Paul was among Republicans calling for an end to sanctuary cities.
Groups
advocating stricter immigration enforcement are hoping the episode
leads to closer collaboration between local law enforcement and
immigration authorities. In recent
years, California, Connecticut, Rhode Island and the District of
Columbia have joined 293 cities and counties to restrict cooperation,
according to the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc.
The
Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for tighter
policies and enforcement, posted a lengthy commentary Monday on
Steinle's death that was titled,
"Another Life Needlessly Lost to Poor Immigration Policies." It added a
map of sanctuary cities to its website.
"It's been a great opportunity to educate the public," said Marguerite Telford, a spokeswoman for the group.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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