Concerns over sanctuary city policies and their impact on public safety were highlighted during an exchange between Fox News contributor Lisa Kennedy Montgomery and Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, as the two discussed what they described as a lack of media and Democratic focus on the issue.
The conversation centered on cases involving individuals wanted for serious crimes outside the United States who, according to McLaughlin, are not reflected in domestic crime statistics but are nonetheless being released back into American communities due to sanctuary city policies.
Montgomery questioned why the issue has received limited attention from major media outlets and Democratic lawmakers.
“How come the media and Democrats are not talking about this? How come they treat American citizens like rounding errors and you know, just to sit because Democrats like Eric Swalwell, they’re trying to introduce a bill to strip Federal officers of their immunity protection, protections against charges of lawsuits,” Montgomery said.
McLaughlin responded by saying the issue is politically inconvenient and that the scope of the problem extends far beyond commonly cited statistics.
“Because it’s an inconvenient truth for them. Liz, and that doesn’t even include, that’s just charges and convictions within the United States of America,” McLaughlin said.
“That doesn’t even include those who are human rights abusers, known or suspected terrorists, gang members have Interpol notices or are wanted for crimes including murder in their country of origin or a third country.”
McLaughlin said those individuals are often excluded from public discussions about crime because their offenses occurred outside the United States, even though they present ongoing safety risks.
“So we’re not even including all the public safety threats that we’re dealing with,” she said.
As an example, McLaughlin cited a recent enforcement action involving Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Minneapolis.
“When Secretary Noam was on the ground in Minneapolis just a couple of days ago, she was part of the arrest of an individual from Ecuador. He was wanted in Ecuador for murder. He would not be included in these statistics,” McLaughlin said.
She added that such cases demonstrate that the situation is more serious than it appears when only U.S.-based charges and convictions are considered.
“So it’s even worse than it looks,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin also addressed the challenges federal authorities face when attempting to work with sanctuary city governments.
She said DHS wants to coordinate with local officials to take custody of individuals who are charged or convicted, but sanctuary policies prevent that cooperation.
“And that’s why we, of course, want to work with these sanctuary city politicians, and they’re really barring us from doing so we want to go into their jail,” she said.
According to McLaughlin, the inability to access local detention facilities leads to dangerous outcomes once individuals are released.
“So when this these individuals are held, when they’re charged or they’re convicted, they will eventually be turned over to us,” McLaughlin said.
“But instead, what’s happening in Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, and these other cities around the country is that they’re being released back onto the street so they can reperpetuate their crimes.”
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