Senate to Recess Without Taking Action Against Sanctuary Cities

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The Senate will adjourn for its month-long August recess this week without taking any substantial action against jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. This comes just two weeks after families of victims killed by illegal aliens begged the Senate Judiciary Committee to take action.

The Judiciary Committee had scheduled a mark-up on S.1814, the Stop Sanctuary Cities Act introduced by Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), last week, but rescheduled the hearing to today. But again, Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has postponed the hearing indefinitely with the Senate heading into recess.

Two weeks ago, the House of Representatives passed a weak sanctuary cities bill that would block federal reimbursements to local jurisdictions for jailing illegal aliens (SCAAP) and allowed, but not required, the Department of Justice to block state and local law enforcement funding. The Vitter-Flake bill was a bit stronger in that it required the DOJ to block some of the state and local funding.

Congress is scheduled to return on Sept. 8.

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