San Francisco woman’s killing leads to bill on deporting felons

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Republican lawmakers in California introduced legislation Thursday to restrict local law enforcement agencies from seeking custody of accused criminals scheduled for deportation, a response to the death of a San Francisco woman allegedly killed by a Mexican national who had been deported five times.

The measure, by Republican state Sens. Bob Huff and Shannon Runner, would require a local enforcement agency to have an outstanding felony warrant for an individual before it could seek custody from federal immigration officials. The local agency also would be required to confirm that either the district attorney or attorney general planned to prosecute.

If these criteria are not met, the individual would remain in federal detention.

“The state of California is not in the business of rescuing convicted felons from the federal government,” Runner said at a news conference Thursday to support the measure, SB 57.