The cost of California’s ‘sanctuary’ policies — in human lives

Originally published by the California Post

This opinion article was authored by Bill Wells, mayor of El Cajon, California, and member of the America First Policy Institute’s Mayors’ Council.

California’s “sanctuary” policies restrict the degree to which local law enforcement can work with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It is a policy that has a terrible cost in human lives.

One life was that of Todd Stewart, 68 years old. He was a retired engineer, a father of two, and a longtime resident of his quiet neighborhood in Martinez, Calif.

On Aug. 6, prosecutors say Stewart encountered a burglar in his home garage and was stabbed to death.

Unfortunately, California’s state law created a system that would ultimately fail Todd Stewart. The man charged with Stewart’s alleged murder, Marcos Iriarte-Valdez, encountered the criminal justice system and was known to federal immigration authorities, but California’s sanctuary policies worked in Iriarte-Valdez’s favor.

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