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In Midst of National Immigration Debate, Virginia Republicans Take Aim at Sanctuary Cities

Taber Andrew Bain / Creative Commons

As the national conversation on immigration continues, Republicans in Virginia’s General Assembly are hoping to crack down on so called sanctuary cities.

Republican Senator Dick Black of Leesburg says sanctuary cities should start following federal immigration laws or pay the price. He’s pushing a bill that would force local governments to pay for any property damage committed by an undocumented immigrant.

“You have localities that say we don’t care what the federal law says. We don’t like federal immigration law, and we invite people to come here and we’re going to shield you from legal process.”

In debate on the bill, Democratic Senator Dick Saslaw of Fairfax County asked what would happen if one undocumented driver hit another undocumented driver. Black responded that under his bill, the local government would likely be on the hook. Saslaw concluded that the effort was misguided.

“The reference that these counties are harboring all these murderers and armed robbers and rapists, implying that basically that’s what undocumented people are is sheer nonsense.”

The bill passed the Senate on a party-line vote, and now moves on to the House.