Steinle’s father tells Senate U.S. needs new immigration approach

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Pier 14 shooting victim Kathryn Steinle’s father pleaded before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday that his daughter’s death not “be in vain” and urged Congress to pass tough new laws targeting criminal immigrants.

Jim Steinle of Pleasanton told the committee, which includes Sen. Dianne Feinstein, how he was walking “arm in arm” with his 32-year-old daughter when “a shot rang out” and she died in his arms. Jose Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, a Mexican immigrant without legal status and a long record of felonies and deportations, has been charged with her murder.

“Unfortunately, due to to disjointed laws, ... the U.S. has suffered a self- inflicted wound” — the loss of his daughter — Steinle said, “at the hands of a person who never should have been on the streets of this country.”

He said Lopez-Sanchez was “released from jail and allowed to stay here freely” because of “legal loopholes” including sanctuary city laws. San Francisco limits the authority of the sheriff to honor requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold suspects beyond their scheduled jail release and a mandate from Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi barred any cooperation with ICE.

Read more: http://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Steinle-s-father-tells-Senate-U-S-needs-new-6397382.php?t=4a9c0eba99f294ee0d&cmpid=twitter-premium