REPORT: DOJ considering federal charges against Kate Steinle killer… [UPDATE: New Statement from White House]

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate may feel like he’s gotten off nearly scot-free, however the DOJ says it’s considering bringing federal charges against him after the outrageous verdict last night:

NY POST – The Justice Department is considering filing federal charges against the undocumented Mexican immigrant who was acquitted in the shooting death of Kate Steinle, department officials told Fox News.

The news comes as President Trump railed against the California jury’s Thursday verdict, which found Jose Ines Garcia Zarate not guilty of murder, manslaughter and assault with a firearm. He was only convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The 45-year-old, who had already been deported to Mexico five times, had been held on an old marijuana charge when he was sprung by authorities before the slaying — despite a sixth deportation order.

San Francisco “sanctuary city” laws limit its cooperation with federal immigration authorities and the case galvanized the anti-immigrant movement.

The undocumented felon could spend three years in the slammer for the firearm charge but has already been behind bars for more than two years as the case wended its way through court.

Late Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions also assailed the verdict.

“When jurisdictions choose to return criminal aliens to the streets rather than turning them over to federal immigration authorities, they put the public’s safety at risk,” he said.

“San Francisco’s decision to protect criminal aliens led to the preventable and heartbreaking death of Kate Steinle,” he added. “While the State of California sought a murder charge for the man who caused Ms. Steinle’s death—a man who would not have been on the streets of San Francisco if the city simply honored an ICE detainer—the people ultimately convicted him of felon in possession of a firearm.”

Sessions is exactly right on this and why these sanctuary cities need to be ended.

I’m not sure what exactly the DOJ can charge Zarate with, but I hope, whatever it is, it comes soon.

UPDATE:

Here’s a new statement from the White House:

Yesterday’s verdict in San Francisco underscores the danger to public safety when our Nation fails to enforce its laws. Kate Steinle was killed by an illegal immigrant and convicted felon who had been deported from the United States five times. He, and countless other criminal illegal immigrants like him, should never be allowed to threaten our citizens.

It’s more important now than ever for Congress to secure our borders and provide the resources, including more ICE officers, needed to deport criminal illegal aliens and to finally stop sanctuary city policies that cause needless loss of innocent life. Politicians who fail to address these needs share responsibility for preventable crimes committed against innocent Americans.

Had San Francisco enforced our Nation’s immigration laws, the Steinle family would be celebrating this holiday with all of their loved ones.


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