Dear neighbor,

It has been over a year since Kate Steinle was killed by a criminal illegal alien that was released in San Francisco due to the city’s sanctuary policies. San Francisco law enforcement officials refused to turn Juan Francisco Sanchez-Lopez over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation. Instead Sanchez-Lopez, who entered the United States illegally five times, was released to roam the streets and eventually murder Kate Steinle.

This senseless violence and suffering is intolerable and completely preventable.

After working with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the last year and a half in my capacity as the Chairman of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee, the agency has released new guidelines that disqualify sanctuary jurisdictions from receiving our hard-earned tax dollars in the form of federal law enforcement grants.

Sanctuary cities defy the rule of law and put American lives in danger. Cutting off funding for these jurisdictions has been one of my biggest priorities as the CJS Chairman. On February 1^st, I sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch that urged the DOJ to deny federal law enforcement grants to cities that do not comply with federal immigration laws. In response, Attorney General Lynch agreed to provide my subcommittee with quarterly reports on their progress to address these concerns.

I’m pleased to announce that yesterday the DOJ notified local and state law enforcement agencies across America that they will no longer be eligible for federal law enforcement grants unless they certify that they are complying 100% with all requests for immigration information from federal authorities.  

State and local governments must now choose between receiving federal law enforcement grant money or protecting dangerous criminal illegal aliens. They can no longer do both.

In the last five years alone, local and state governments have received more than $3.4 billion in federal law enforcement grants, but this money is at risk if these jurisdictions refuse to put Americans first and change their dangerous sanctuary policies.

My rule as CJS Chairman is simple, if you want federal money, you must follow federal law.

It is an honor and privilege to represent you and Texas in the United States House.

Sincerely,

John Culberson