Sen. Rand Paul is calling for federal action to prevent so-called sanctuary cities from harboring “dangerous” undocumented immigrants.  

The Kentucky Republican announced on Thursday that he would introduce legislation requiring local law enforcement to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the event of arresting an undocumented immigrant, and detain the individual if directed to do so by federal officials. Compliance will be tied to the locality’s eligibility for federal law enforcement grants. Plans for the bill are in response to a recent incident in San Francisco where an undocumented man with a criminal record, who had been deported five times, was arrested for fatally shooting a 32-year-old woman with a gun stolen from a federal law enforcement officer’s vehicle.  

“Our nation now has whole cities and states who stand up and willingly defy federal immigration laws in order to protect illegal immigrants who have broken our nation’s laws,” Paul said in a statement. “This must end and it must end now. My bill makes it clear, the American people will not stand for cities harboring violent criminals.”

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