Schweikert Voted To Prohibit Federal Funding To Sanctuary Cities To Aid Undocumented Citizens. In September 2024, Schweikert voted for , according to Congressional Quarterly, "the bill, as amended, that would prohibit 'sanctuary' cities and other jurisdictions from receiving federal funds that they intend to use for the benefit of undocumented immigrants who are in the United States and do not hold a lawful immigration status. Under the bill, sanctuary jurisdictions could not use federal funds specifically for food, shelter, health care services, legal services and transportation for undocumented immigrants. It would define a sanctuary jurisdiction as any state or political subdivision (such as a county, town, village or school district), that has a statute, ordinance, policy or practice that prohibits or restricts any government entity or official from sending, receiving, maintaining or exchanging with any federal, state or local government information regarding an individual's citizenship or immigration status." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 219 to 186. [House Vote 437, 9/20/24; Congressional Quarterly, 9/20/24; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5717]
2017: Schweikert Voted For The FY 2018 Republican Study Committee Budget Resolution Which In Part Called For Codifying President Trump's Executive Order Defunding So-Called Sanctuary Cities. In October 2017, Schweikert voted for a budget resolution that would in part, according to Congressional Quarterly, "provide for $2.9 trillion in new budget authority in fiscal 2018. It would balance the budget by fiscal 2023 by reducing spending by $10.1 trillion over 10 years. It would cap total discretionary spending at $1.06 trillion for fiscal 2018 and would assume no separate Overseas Contingency Operations funding for fiscal 2018 or subsequent years and would incorporate funding related to war or terror into the base defense account. It would assume repeal of the 2010 health care overhaul and would convert Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program into a single block grant program. It would require that off budget programs, such as Social Security, the U.S. Postal Service, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, be included in the budget." The underlying legislation was an FY 2018 House GOP budget resolution. The House rejected the RSC budget by a vote of 139 to 281. [House Vote 555, 10/5/17; Congressional Quarterly, 10/5/17; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 455; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 71]
2017: Schweikert Voted For The House GOP's FY 2018 Omnibus That Included Blocking Funding For So-Called Sanctuary Cities. In September 2017, Schweikert voted for an FY 2018 Omnibus appropriations bill that. According to The Hill, "The House on Thursday completed its work on the annual appropriations bills for 2018, ahead of expected negotiations at the end of this year to keep the government funded. By a vote of 211-198, the House passed a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills to fund wide swaths of the federal government, ranging from the Department of Homeland Security to the Environmental Protection Agency. [...] The package included eight new bills, plus four previously passed appropriations bills that advanced through the House in July. Regular order for appropriations typically involved passing each of the bills individually, not in groups of 4 or 8. [...] Together, the bills appropriate $621.5 billion for defense spending and $511 billion for nondefense discretionary spending. It also devotes another $87 billion in Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) funding, which does not count toward budget cuts. Of that, $75 billion went to defense, $12 billion to nondefense." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 211 to 198. The Senate took no substantive action on the overall legislation. [House Vote 528, 9/14/17; The Hill, 9/14/17; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3354]
2017: Schweikert Voted To Prohibit HUD Funds From Going To Sanctuary Cities. In September 2017, Schweikert voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "prohibit[ed] state and local government entities from receiving Housing and Urban Development Department funding if the state or local entity prohibits or restricts any government entity from reporting to Immigration and Naturalization Service with information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual." The underlying legislation was a legislative vehicle for an FY 2018 Omnibus appropriations bill. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 255 to 195. The House later passed the underlying bill. The Senate took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 455, 9/6/17; Congressional Quarterly, 9/6/17; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 301; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3354]
2017: Schweikert Voted For Legislation That Restricted Federal Funding To Local Law Enforcement In Sanctuary Cities. In June 2017, Schweikert voted for legislation that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly "prohibit[ed] federal, state and local governments from restricting any federal, state, or local government entity or official from complying with immigration laws or from assisting federal law enforcement entities or officials in their enforcement of such laws. The bill would [have] allow[ed] the Homeland Security Department to issue detainers for arrests of individuals in violation of 'any criminal or motor vehicle law' in cases where there is probable cause to believe such individual is an 'inadmissible or deportable alien,' and would revoke eligibility for certain federal law enforcement grants for states and cities found not to be in compliance with the bill's provisions." The House passed the bill by a vote of 228 to 195. The Senate took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 342, 6/29/17; Congressional Quarterly, 6/29/17; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3003]
The "No Sanctuary For Criminals Act" Would Cut Federal Funding For Local Law Enforcement In "Sanctuary Cities" Across The Nation: According to Think Progress, "The No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, or H.R. 3003, which targets so-called 'sanctuary cities' and would demand cities and localities across the country comply with requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), overruling the advice of local law enforcement, many of whom argue the measures are a public safety threat. But if cities fail to comply, the bill threatens to withhold federal funding for a number of crucial endeavors" [Think Progress, 6/28/17]
The "No Sanctuary For Criminals Act" Would Cut Funding For Opioid Treatment: According to Think Progress, "But if cities fail to comply, the bill threatens to withhold federal funding for a number of crucial endeavors --- including efforts to [...] combat opioid addiction." [Think Progress, 6/28/17]
2016: Schweikert Voted To Prohibit Financial Assistance To Sanctuary Cities. In July 2016, Schweikert voted for an amendment that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "prohibit[ed] funds from being used to provide financial assistance to 'sanctuary cities or U.S. cities that shelter undocumented immigrants." The underlying legislation was an FY 2017 financial services appropriations bill. The vote was on the amendment. The House adopted the amendment by a vote of 236 to 182. The House later passed the underlying bill, but the Senate took no substantive action on the legislation. [House Vote 382, 7/7/16; Congressional Quarterly, 7/7/16; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 1250; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5485]
2015: Schweikert Voted For 'The Enforce The Law For Sanctuary Cities Act,' A Bill That Withheld Federal Law Enforcement Grants To State And Local Governments That Prevented Their Officials From Taking Immigration-Related Actions. In July 2015, Schweikert voted for a bill that blocked federal law enforcement funds to states and cities that barred their officials from taking immigration related actions. According to Congressional Quarterly, the bill would have, "with[held] certain federal law enforcement grants to state and local governments that bar[red] their officials from taking certain immigration-related actions, such as gathering or maintaining information on the immigration or citizenship status of individuals or sharing such information with federal immigration authorities." The measure was known as the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act. The vote was on the measure. The House passed the measure by a vote of 241 to 179. The Senate rejected a similar bill in October 2015. [House Vote 466, 7/23/15; Congressional Quarterly, 7/23/15; Congressional Quarterly, 10/20/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3009]
Sanctuary Cities Are Generally Defined As Cities That Limit Active Participation In Enforcement Of Federal Immigration Laws. According to CNN, "There's no legal definition of a sanctuary city, county or state, and what it means varies from place to place. But jurisdictions that fall under that controversial term -- supporters oppose it -- generally have policies or laws that limit the extent to which law enforcement and other government employees will go to assist the federal government on immigration matters." [CNN, 7/8/15]
Kate Steinle's Murder Has Been A Catalyst For Crackdown On Sanctuary Cities. According to The Atlantic, 'Kate's Law is named after Kate Steinle, who died on July 1 after being shot on Pier 14 in San Francisco. Police arrested Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, a Mexican national and convicted felon who was in the United States illegally, and charged him with Steinle's murder. Lopez-Sanchez subsequently admitted to firing the gun, but claimed Steinle was not the target and that her death was accidental. Steinle's death set off a firestorm of protests among opponents of illegal immigration. Donald Trump transmuted some of the outrage over Steinle's death, as well as his broader invectives against illegal immigration and "political correctness," into frontrunner status in the Republican presidential-nominee race." [The Atlantic, 9/6/15]
November 2014: President Obama Ended The Secure Communities Program As Part Of His Immigration Executive Orders. According to Congressional Quarterly, "President Obama ended the Secure Communities program as part of executive actions announced in November 2014 that were aimed primarily at deferring deportation for illegal immigrants whose children are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. It was replaced with the Priority Enforcement Program, under which immigration detainers are to be issued only for illegal aliens who have been convicted of certain offenses (rather than just arrested) and who pose a threat to public safety if released. CRS notes that in most cases under the new program, the ICE detainers are to be used to simply request state and local law enforcement to notify ICE prior to releasing individuals or transferring them to other institutions, not to request that they be detained beyond the point that they otherwise would be released so ICE can get custody." [Congressional Quarterly, 7/22/15]
Under The Secure Communities Program, The FBI Sent Fingerprints To The Immigration And Customs Enforcement To Check Against Immigration Status. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Under the Secure Communities program, which began in the final years of President George W. Bush's administration, the FBI began sending the fingerprints to Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to check against its immigration databases to see whether the individual was in the country illegally or was otherwise removable because of criminal convictions." [Congressional Quarterly, 7/22/15]
Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA): The Bill Would Make "Neighborhoods Less Safe" Because Congress Chose To Tell Local Law Enforcement How To Keep Their Communities Safe Instead Of Fixing The U.S. Immigration System. In a floor speech, Rep. Cardenas said, "This bill on the floor of this House today has Donald Trump written all over it. This Donald Trump bill treats people like criminals who haven't even been arrested yet. Congress doesn't need to tell our local police and sheriffs how to keep us safe. Decades of research shows that this kind of bill will only make our neighborhoods less safe. The safety of our families should not be a pawn to please Donald Trump. Republicans should work to fix our broken immigration system that will make our neighborhoods safer and supercharge our economy." [Congressional Record, 7/23/15]
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA): Denying Funding To Sanctuary Cities Would Send A Strong Message So They Would Stop "Intentionally Caus[ing] People To Be In Harm's Way." In a floor speech, Rep. LaMalfa said, "Mr. Speaker, today I rise in favor of H.R. 3009, Enforce the Law Against Sanctuary Cities Act. Why does it take tragedy after tragedy before this Congress and America gets behind the idea that we don't have to have more tragedies like Kate Steinle in San Francisco or one that almost may be forgotten about, Jamiel Shaw, Jr., in southern California some years ago, all at the hands of illegal immigrants that should not be here, should be deported? Why do we keep doing this? Indeed, sanctuary cities not only don't enforce the law, they intentionally cause people to be in harm's way because they are not enforcing the law. Denying funding to them is one strong message to sanctuary cities, over 300 of them now in the United States, that they are doing the wrong thing and needlessly endangering or losing the lives of Kate Steinle to illegal immigrants that are here causing this crime." [Congressional Record, 7/23/15]
The White House Threatened To Veto The Bill Because It Fails To Offer Comprehensive Immigration Reform. According to a Statement of Administration Policy, "The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 3009. This bill fails to offer comprehensive reforms needed to fix the Nation's broken immigration laws, undermines current Administration efforts to remove the most dangerous convicted criminals and to work collaboratively with State and local law enforcement agencies, and threatens the civil rights of all Americans by authorizing State and local officials to collect information regarding any private citizen's immigration status, at any time, for any reason, and without justification. [...] If the President were presented with H.R. 3009, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto this bill." [Statement of Administration Policy, 7/23/15]
2015: Schweikert Voted To Bar Certain Federal Funds To So Called 'Sanctuary Cities.' In June 2015, Schweikert voted for an amendment that would have barred certain federal funds to so called 'sanctuary cities.' According to Congressional Quarterly, the amendment, offered by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) would have "bar[red] funds made available in the bill for Office of Justice Programs state and local law enforcement assistance from being used in contravention of existing law that bars federal, state or local governments or officials from prohibiting or restricting in any way any government entity or official from sending information regarding citizenship or immigration status of any individual to the Immigration and Naturalization Service." The underlying measure was H.R. 2578, the FY 2016 Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies appropriations bill. The vote was on the amendment. The House agreed to the amendment by a vote of 227 to 198. The House later passed the underlying legislation but it but died in the Senate after an attempt at becoming a vehicle for a different appropriations bill. [House Vote 294, 6/3/15; Congressional Quarterly, 6/3/15; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 352; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2578]
2014: Schweikert Voted To Prohibit The Justice Department From Awarding State And Local Law Enforcement Grants To Jurisdictions That Do Not Report Information On Undocumented Immigrants To The Federal Government. In May 2014, Schweikert voted for an amendment that, according to Congressional Quarterly, would "bar[] the use of funds in contravention of Section 642(a) of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. The amendment [wa]s intended to bar so-called 'sanctuary cities' that don't provide the federal government with information on illegal immigrants from receiving Justice Department state and local law enforcement grants." The House agreed to the amendment to the House-considered version of the FY 2015 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations bill by a vote of 214 to 194. The House subsequently passed the underlying bill, which died in the Senate. [House Vote 266, 5/30/14; Congressional Quarterly, 6/4/14; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 770; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4660]