Calif. Sheriff: Illegals Committing More Repeat Crimes Due To "Sanctuary" Laws

Orange County, California, has seen a 38 percent spike in repeat offenses by criminals present in the U.S. illegally due to the state’s ‘sanctuary’ policies, according to Sheriff Don Barnes. In a press release, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department documented crimes committed by illegal aliens after their release from custody for previous offenses, including rape, domestic abuse, robbery, and assault. “SB54 has made our community less safe. The law has resulted in new crimes because my deputies were unable to communicate with their federal partners about individuals who committed serious offenses and present a threat to our community if released,” said Sheriff Barnes. “The two-year social science experiment with sanctuary laws must end. Rather than protect our immigrant community, the law has enabled offenders to be released, often times back into the immigrant communities they prey upon, and create new victims.” California officially became a sanctuary state on Jan. 1, 2018, with the implementation of SB 54, which protects illegal aliens from federal immigration enforcement and severely restricts communication between police and agencies such as ICE. “The senate bill restricts law enforcement from notifying, transferring and communicating with federal immigration authorities regarding certain offenders,” the O.C. Sheriff’s Department explains. “The implementation of this bill also effectively ended the Sheriff’s Departments 287(g) program, which allowed custody deputies to place detainers on undocumented individuals in the Orange County Jail.” “Deputies do not ask for immigration status in the performance of their duties, and they do not make arrests for violation of federal immigration laws. However, in a custody setting, sharing information is critical to public safety and serves as a valuable tool to ensure those harming others are removed from the community.”