President Donald Trump took on sanctuary cities during his 2020 State of the Union address and named-dropped states that have harbored illegal aliens that went on to allegedly commit heinous crimes.
“A better tomorrow for all Americans also requires us to keep America safe. That means supporting the men and women of law enforcement at every level, including our nation’s heroic [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] ICE officers,” Trump said Tuesday night while addressing Congress.
“Tragically, there are many cities in America where radical politicians have chosen to provide sanctuary for these criminal illegal aliens. In sanctuary cities, local officials order police to release dangerous criminal aliens to prey upon the public, instead of handing them over to ICE to be safely removed,” he added.
The president spoke of a crime allegedly committed by an illegal alien in New York City. Reeaz Khan, a 21-year-old Guyanese national living illegally in the U.S., was charged with sexually abusing and killing a 92-year-old woman while she was out late at night collecting returnables in January.
Before being charged with the heinous crime, Khan had been previously arrested in November for assaulting his father and placed into local custody. ICE placed an immigration retainer on him, but New York City authorities — who are instructed not to cooperate with ICE — ignored the detainer. He was ultimately released back into the public.
(Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
“Just 29 days ago, a criminal alien freed by the sanctuary City of New York was charged with the brutal rape and murder of a 92-year-old woman,” Trump said of Khan. “The killer had been previously arrested for assault, but under New York’s sanctuary policies, he was set free. If the city had honored ICE’s detainer request, his victim would be alive today.”
Trump then turned to California — another state that notably refuses to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
“In December 2018, California police detained an illegal alien with five prior arrests, including convictions for robbery and assault. But as required by California’s sanctuary law, local authorities released him,” he said. (RELATED: Illegal Alien Deported After Killing Four Kids Admits She Illegally Returned To The US)
The president explained:
Days later, the criminal alien went on a gruesome spree of deadly violence. He viciously shot one man going about his daily work; he approached a woman sitting in her car and shot her in the arm and the chest. He walked into a convenience store and wildly fired his weapon. He hijacked a truck and smashed into vehicles, critically injuring innocent victims. One of the victims of his bloody rampage was a 51-year-old American named Rocky Jones.
One of the victim’s brothers, Jody Jones, was invited as a guest to the State of the Union address.
“Jody, our hearts weep for your loss — and we will not rest until you have justice,” Trump said.
WATCH:
Trump called on Congress to pass legislation introduced by North Carolina GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, which would allow people like Jody Jones to sue sanctuary cities.
“The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans — not criminal aliens!” Trump said
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