The Los Angeles Daily News reporter Elizabeth Chou wrote today about the Immigration Bill discussions in the House of Representatives. This highly controversial issue will require a great degree of cooperation from both political parties to be resolved. This file photo shows Mayor Eric Garcetti at Los Angeles City Hall. Ms. Chou writes: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti panned a pair of bills aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration that cleared the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday evening saying the GOP-backed measures run counter to the spirit of cooperation that the city has built with its immigrant communities. Safety in our city depends on a spirit of trust cooperation and partnership that we have built carefully over decades in Los Angeles he said. The policies that guide our officers interaction with immigrants are well within the law and the legislation passed today in the House would do nothing to make our communities better or safer. He went to say lawmakers should spend more time fixing the nations broken immigration laws. Congress should turn its attention toward the comprehensive immigration reform that America needs and deserves he said. The House voted 228-195 to approve H.R. 3003 a bill also known as The No Sanctuary for Criminals Act that would penalize cities that take certain actions limiting enforcement efforts by federal immigration officials. RELATED STORY: LA leaders approve $2 million for legal fund to defend immigrants facing deportation The bill would allow federal funds to be withheld from cities and other jurisdictions that prevent their officers from communicating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Jurisdictions that comply with requests from federal immigration enforcement officials to detain people would gain protections from being sued under the bill. Victims of a crime would also obtain greater ability to sue jurisdictions that do not comply with requests to detain immigrants with criminal histories. Also in the bill are provisions that would make sure immigrants who are in the country unlawfully and have convictions or arrests for driving under the influence are kept in detention during removal proceedings. The House also voted 257-167 to pass H.R. 3004 or Kates Law which would impose harsher penalties for someone with a felony who returns to the United States after being deported. The legislation is named after Kate Steinle who was shot and killed two years ago in San Francisco reportedly by a man with a lengthy criminal record who had been deported five times. Corresponding bills in the Senate still need to be approved before the measures can move to President Donald Trumps desk for signing. Rep. Darrell Issa R-Vista hailed House passage of the two bills saying they would beef up enforcement of federal immigration laws and increase safety. Two years ago Kate Steinle died needlessly at the hands of a criminal alien repeatedly deported and convicted of numerous felonies he said in a statement. Her death is made all the more devastating given how preventable it was had our immigration laws been enforced. Rep. Judy Chu D-Pasadena slammed the bills calling them a return to the Republican Partys strategy of fear and punishment on the issue of immigration. The bill targeting so-called sanctuary jurisdictions effectively declares war on American cities law enforcement and immigrant communities by making deporting immigrants more of a priority than protecting communities she said. Chu added that Kates Law is even worse pointing to provisions in it that she said criminalize immigrants trying to rejoin their families or refugees fleeing violence. This is shameful she added. And it doesnt even accomplish what it sets out to do. Kate Steinle whose tragic death inspired this law would not have been saved had this law been in place as her murderer repeatedly crossed the border despite serving 16 years in prison. article source:http://www.dailynews.com The post Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Criticizes Houses Immigration Bill appeared first on Immigration Law Firms. via Immigration Law Firms https://immigrationlawctr.com/los-angeles-mayor-eric-garcetti-criticizes-houses-immigration-bill/