An illegal immigrant who had been previously deported 20 times was arrested recently after having allegedly sexually assaulted two women and stolen a car.
The man had been previously arrested by a "sanctuary county" in Oregon in 2016 and released by police, who refused to notify immigration officials that they had him in custody.
Sergio Jose Martinez, 31, was arrested July 24 in Portland, Oregon. Police say he’s been accused of breaking into the home of and sexually assaulting a 65-year-old woman, stealing the woman’s car, and then sexually assaulting a second woman, according to a report by KGW-TV.
KGW-TV also reported Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency that handles deportations, claims despite Martinez’s long history of violating local and federal laws, Multnomah County police released Martinez in 2016 without notifying ICE, which had filed an immigration detainer requesting authorities notify the agency before releasing Martinez.
Multnomah County is a “sanctuary county,” which means it refuses to work with federal immigration officials to deport people illegally in the country, even if those people have a violent history and have continuously refused to adhere to U.S. immigration laws.
In December 2016, commissioners in Multnomah County approved a measure officially making the county a “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants. At the time the resolution was passed, Loretta Smith, a commissioner in the county, said she had “no idea” what the “repercussions” of the decision would be, but that it was the “right thing” and “good” for the community.
“I have no idea what the repercussions are, but when you are standing for the right thing, and to do the good thing for your community, you always are on the right side of policy, and politics, as well,” Smith said, according to a separate report by KGW-TV.
“We are not holding folks for ICE,” Smith added. “We don’t police for our immigration departments. We are a safety net government that's here to help the people. We want to make sure that they know — we have their back and we are going to help them as best we can,” Smith said.
On June 29, the House of Representatives approved Kate’s Law, an amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act. Kate’s Law would allow courts to impose a prison sentence for up to two years for any non-criminal “alien who has been denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed, or who has departed the United States while an order of exclusion, deportation, or removal is outstanding, and subsequently enters, attempts to enter, crosses the border to, attempts to cross the border to, or is at any time found in the United States.”
Kate’s law would also impose severe prison sentences on immigrants who commit crimes while in the United States and then illegally return to the country.
The Senate has yet to vote on the amendment, but on Saturday, President Donald Trump, who supports Kate’s Law, said the Senate should change its rules so that it could pass the measure, as well as implement health care reform and other legislation.
“Republicans in the Senate will NEVER win if they don't go to a 51 vote majority NOW,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “They look like fools and are just wasting time. … 8 Dems totally control the U.S. Senate. Many great Republican bills will never pass, like Kate's Law and complete Healthcare. Get smart!”
Republicans in the Senate will NEVER win if they don't go to a 51 vote majority NOW. They look like fools and are just wasting time......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017
....8 Dems totally control the U.S. Senate. Many great Republican bills will never pass, like Kate's Law and complete Healthcare. Get smart!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017
