San Francisco will likely pay $190,000 in a lawsuit settlement with an illegal immigrant who said he was reported to federal immigration officials despite the city’s sanctuary city policy, according to KPIX-TV.
KPIX reported that on December 2, 2015, Pedro Figueroa-Zarceno went to a police station to recover his stolen car. As he left the station, he was detained by police and taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
After a two-month detention, Figueroa-Zarceno, a native of El Salvador, sued the city of San Francisco, arguing that his arrest violated the city’s sanctuary policy, which limits the ability of local law enforcement to coordinate with federal immigration authorities.
Speaking through an interpreter, Figueroa-Zarceno said at a news conference that he could hear his 8-year-old daughter screaming outside “Dad! Dad!”
“I could hear her telling them not to take her dad,” he said.
John Coté, a spokesman for the office of San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, said in a statement to CBS News, "San Francisco has strong policies in place to encourage victims and witnesses to report crimes without fear of being deported, which include our sanctuary ordinance.
“These policies are designed to foster respect and trust between law enforcement and residents to ensure our communities are safe,” Coté said. “The city, including the Police Department, remain committed to them. This proposed settlement is a fair resolution for all of the parties involved."
The House of Representatives is considering two bills related to illegal immigration this week. The so-called “Kate’s Law,” named after Kate Steinle, a woman murdered by an illegal immigrant in San Francisco, would increase penalties on those who re-enter the U.S. illegally after deportation. The No Sanctuary for Criminals Act would bar sanctuary cities and jurisdictions ineligible to receive some federal funds.
