Ayotte Calls for Investigation into Circumstances Surrounding San Francisco Tragedy

Press Release

In the wake of the tragic, fatal shooting of an innocent woman in San Francisco last week, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson requesting a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged perpetrator, Francisco Sanchez, and his presence in the United States. Sanchez has been arrested and charged with murder.

Sanchez is a convicted felon who is unlawfully present in the United States and has been deported to Mexico on at least five occasions. According to the San Francisco Sheriff's Department, Sanchez has been convicted of at least seven felonies. Since his July 1 arrest for the fatal shooting, Sanchez told a local news station that he found the gun and it accidentally discharged. Sanchez has also stated that he sought refuge in San Francisco because it is well-known as a "sanctuary" city, meaning local law enforcement authorities do not voluntarily collaborate or cooperate with their federal counterparts on matters related to our nation's immigration laws. A local ordinance only allows law enforcement to hold individuals with violent criminal records.

"This tragedy reinforces the importance of simultaneously pursuing strict enforcement of our current immigration laws while continuing to further secure our Southern border," Ayotte wrote. "Such efforts include doubling the number of border patrol agents on the Southern border, doubling the amount of fencing along the border, and continuously improving and deploying border surveillance and security technology. To further these goals, we must understand cases such as this one. We must answer hard questions so that we can remedy dangerous deficiencies and oversights in our current enforcement regime."

She continued, "Certainly, authorities in San Francisco and other localities in which Sanchez came into contact with local law enforcement must take a hard look at their policies following this tragic incident. At the same time, DHS and ICE must reflect on their actions and revisit existing, or needed, authorities to remove criminal aliens. In addition to responses to the questions outlined below, I respectfully ask that you conduct a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sanchez's history of deportations and his presence in the United States on July 1, 2015."

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