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2015 murder of Kate Steinle provides startling reminder of the dangers of sanctuary cities

2015 murder of Kate Steinle provides startling reminder of the dangers of sanctuary cities

In the summer of 2015, 32-year-old San Francisco resident Kathryn Steinle was struck in the back by a stray bullet as she walked along Pier 14, a popular Bay Area tourist destination. She died a few hours later in a local hospital. The bullet was fired by Francisco Sanchez, an illegal immigrant with multiple felony convictions who had been deported from the U.S. five times.

Sanchez claimed to have found the gun, which was stolen from a Bureau of Land Management vehicle days earlier, wrapped in a t-shirt on a nearby bench. He said he fired the gun inadvertently while examining it.

Prior to the shooting, Sanchez was due to be deported yet again while awaiting trial on a decades-old marijuana possession charge in San Francisco. However, due to the city's "sanctuary" status, local law enforcement agents did not honor Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials' request to hold Sanchez until he could be picked up by immigration officers and deported; instead, Sanchez was released once prosecutors decided to drop the marijuana charges.

The case immediately sparked a firestorm of controversy and led to a rise in opposition to sanctuary cities in California. Today, the majority of Americans oppose sanctuary cities. The case became notorious enough that President Donald Trump referenced Steinle's death in his speech accepting the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

In light of the family's lawsuit against the city and ICE being dismissed, Glenn took a moment Thursday morning on "The Glenn Beck Radio Program" to remind viewers about the case and point to it as an example of the tragic consequences or sacrificing citizens' safety while protecting those who are here illegally:

"As a direct result of the sanctuary city policy, Kate will never get to see her brother's baby girl. Will never, ever get to walk down the San Francisco pier again on a hot summer night with her father's hand in hers. Kate will never have a child of her own, because she was murdered by somebody who shouldn't have been in this country in the very first place. Isn't that what a government is supposed to do?

To see more from Glenn, visit his channel on TheBlaze and watch "The Glenn Beck Radio Program" live weekdays 9 a.m.–noon ET or anytime on-demand at TheBlaze TV.

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