Acquittal of Jose Zarate Shows More Need than Ever for Wall, Tighter Border Security.
St. Louis, MO: Across the country, Americans were shocked last night when Jose Zarate received a not-guilty verdict from a California jury. Zarate, an illegal alien, shot and killed 32-year-old Kate Steinle in San Francisco in July of 2015. He had been deported already a total of five times, most recently in 2009, and he was currently on probation in Texas at the time of the killing. He already posses several felony convictions. Just prior to his killing of Kate Steinle in July 2015, he had been arrested on drug charges in San Francisco. Local authorities ignored an Immigration and Customs Enforcement request to detain him and instead released Zarate in accordance with San Francisco's "sanctuary city" policy.
Today, Justice Department officials said they are considering federal charges against Zarate after the not-guilty verdict. “We’re looking at every option," said Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores. "And we will prosecute this to the fullest extent of the law because these cases are tragic and entirely preventable."
"Yesterday's shocking acquittal of Kate Steinle's killer is a tragic reminder of the need for immediate, effective border security and Americans First immigration policies," said Ryan Hite, Phyllis Schlafly Eagles Communications Director. "Thanks to San Francisco's ignoring of the law, a convicted criminal with multiple felonies and deportations was once again allowed to roam the streets freely. This time, it resulted in the absolutely unnecessary death of a young American citizen. We are glad to see the Department of Justice now weighing federal charges.
"We must build the wall now. We must end sanctuary cities now. The American people demand it and the lives of their children are counting on it. If authorities had properly detained and deported Zarate and met him at the border with an effective wall and security system, the Steinle family and other families across the country would still be with their loved ones today. How many preventable, unnecessary deaths must American citizens suffer before our borders are secured and immigration law is obeyed?"
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