Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Letters to the Editor

Lisa Hawkins: If killer hadn’t gotten ‘sanctuary’ treatment, victim would be alive

Re “Don’t blame Kate Steinle’s death on sanctuary cities” (Page 8A, Oct. 25): What a misleading headline. You can absolutely blame this murder on sanctuary cities. The perpetrator had been deported five times for unlawful behavior; he broke a car window and stole a gun that was in a back pack. The San Francisco Sheriff’s Department was asked by federal immigration to detain him for two days for deportation.

The Sheriff’s department said it was following the city’s sanctuary policy of “limited” cooperation with federal immigration authorities. This isn’t about a political agenda, rather a case of someone here unlawfully, committing a crime that should never have happened had Sheriff’s department cooperated with federal immigration.

Lisa Hawkins, Waterford

This story was originally published October 31, 2017 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Lisa Hawkins: If killer hadn’t gotten ‘sanctuary’ treatment, victim would be alive."

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER