Watson Coleman: “following the attacks of 9/11, we made a promise to the American people to make this country safer. We identified on all…”

“following the attacks of 9/11, we made a promise to the American people to make this country safer. We identified on all levels cracks in our system. Most alarming, we found that intelligence agencies were not talking to one another. We found that when the left arm doesn't know what the right arm is doing, the consequences can be disastrous. The gathering of intelligence is not an abstract concept that only happens on the streets of Afghanistan or Iraq. It happens every day on the streets of Duluth or St. Paul, MN. Our local law enforcement agencies are on the front lines of our communities and often know exactly what is happening on our streets. Sadly, in what is reminiscent of pre-9/11 days, municipalities have identified a loophole in the law--or in many ways I don't even call it a loophole, they have simply circumvented Federal law and have banned the practice of officers inquiring about a suspect's immigration status, allowing cities throughout the country to become what are called sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. My amendment seeks to end the practice of sanctuary cities.”