Speech #1100052841

I just want to. in perhaps less than 5 minutes. address the amendment we are going to vote on in a little bit. at 12:35. It is a simple amendment. There is existing Federal law which says that municipalities may not restrict in any waythe language is very clearin any way prohibit or restrict any governmental entity from sharing information with Federal authorities about immigration status. It is the law. The law says you cant restrict from sending. maintaining. or exchanging. What has happened is that some cities--referred to as socalled sanctuary citieshave adopted policies to circumvent what has been Federal law since 1996. I want my colleagues to understand that this is an amendment to a bill that. if passed. will end the need for sanctuary cities. If passed. this bill will allow folks to come out of the shadows and into the light. The only folks who wont come into the light will be those folks who have criminal problems. In other words. if this bill is passed with this amendment. it will allow folks to come out of the shadows. a concept that I support. and I want to make sure we do the right thing. In the existing bill. we are telling employers they cannot create a sanctuary. they cannot create a haven for illegal aliens. We are saying to them that if they do. they will be penalized. If we do that. we should also then go to those cities or communities which are creating these sanctuaries and say to them that everyone is going to follow the rule of law. everyone is going to.