Matt Salmon: “I might add that this amendment was one that was offered by my colleague David Schweikert from Arizona last year, and it…”

“I might add that this amendment was one that was offered by my colleague David Schweikert from Arizona last year, and it passed on a voice vote. Department of Homeland Security, DHS, has long viewed State and local governments as valuable partners that can help serve a helpful role in assisting DHS in fulfilling its responsibility with respect to immigration enforcement, and it continues to welcome that participation. In order to avoid complying with their obligation to share information with DHS, local governments have taken on a ``don't ask, don't tell'' policy known as ``sanctuary policies.'' With the implementation of sanctuary policies, State and local law enforcement officers are barred from asking people about their immigration status or reporting them to Federal immigration authorities. Sanctuary policies are bad public policy because States or cities that institute sanctuary policies become magnets for illegal immigration. Illegal immigration results in higher costs of living; reduced job availability; lower wages; higher crime rates; fiscal hardship on hospitals and substandard quality of care for residents; burdens on public services, increasing their costs and diminishing their availability; and a reduction of the overall quality of life. Sanctuary policies are expensive and shift the cost of illegal immigration onto citizens and legal immigrants.…”