Beaver County Times: Toomey blasts McGinty for wanting to reward illegal immigrants

“Katie McGinty’s support for a dangerous sanctuary city policy is even considered extreme by the Obama Administration. While Katie McGinty caters to far-left special interest groups, Senator Toomey understands that our top priority should be keeping Pennsylvanians safe. ” – PA GOP Communications Director Megan Sweeney

Toomey blasts McGinty for wanting to reward illegal immigrants with citizenship, welfare benefits
The Beaver County Times
By J.D. Prose
August 16, 2016
http://www.timesonline.com/news/governmentandpolitics/toomey-blasts-mcginty-for-wanting-to-reward-illegal-immigrants-with/article_75a2fc5a-63d1-11e6-9495-4b2f28b71d84.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

As his statewide bus tour heads toward western Pennsylvania later this week, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey is hammering away at Democratic challenger Katie McGinty for wanting to give illegal immigrants citizenship and make them eligible for welfare benefits.

Toomey, R-Lehigh County, has been targeting McGinty for not fully denouncing sanctuary city policies for illegal immigrants and Philadelphia’s in particular because a previously deported illegal immigrant allegedly raped a young girl after he had been released under the city’s sanctuary policy without notifying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“When violent criminals are being released on the streets because of sanctuary city policies, it’s an important issue,” Toomey told Calkins Media on Monday.

Now, Toomey is poised to go after Chester County resident McGinty for her support for the so-called “Gang of Eight” agreement, a 2013 bipartisan Senate immigration reform plan. Toomey said that agreement was “completely silent” on sanctuary city policies.

Toomey, speaking from the road as he tours the state, said McGinty’s stance rewards those who have illegally come to America. “What her solution does is it takes people who are here illegally, it makes them citizens and eligible for welfare,” Toomey said.

Worse yet, Toomey warned that the policy would simply entice “another wave” of people to come to the country. “It doesn’t even begin to stop illegal immigration,” he said. “In fact, I think it would encourage it.”

However, Toomey’s anti-sanctuary city policy bill went to a Senate vote in July. While it received majority support (53-44) from Republicans, Democrats opposed it and it failed to gain the 60 votes necessary to proceed.

Toomey said his bill would have alleviated the issue of municipalities being afraid to enforce immigration laws or work with the federal government because of liability issues. Some people wrongfully detained have sued municipalities, but Toomey’s bill would have required them to sue the Department of Homeland Security.

“That solves the problem completely,” Toomey said.

Toomey said western Pennsylvania residents should care about such policies because Allegheny County provides sanctuary by not always honoring ICE detainer requests though it does a better job of sharing information with the federal government than Philadelphia.

“The danger is that a dangerous criminal would be released,” he said, “and that person could be a threat to anyone in western Pennsylvania.”

Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie Downs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.