U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has reversed his position on sanctuary cities, stating that such laws no longer make America safe and urging fellow Democrats in sanctuary jurisdictions to turn over criminal illegal immigrants to federal authorities.
In television interviews Tuesday and Wednesday, Fetterman said, “I do think, at this point, we should be turning over all the criminals that are in custody in all these jurisdictions.”
The senator attributed his shift in stance to the “unchecked flow of illegal immigration across the border” under the former Biden administration. “The dynamic has changed much differently, and the border has become more and more increasingly difficult,” Fetterman stated during a Tuesday interview when pressed about his 2016 support for sanctuary laws. “So, for me, now, I think it’s entirely appropriate to make the adjustments.”
Fetterman emphasized that law enforcement agencies holding individuals engaged in criminal behavior should cooperate with federal immigration authorities and that those convicted should be deported. He also indicated that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey—whose city has declared police cooperation with federal immigration agents is not part of its policy—should reconsider his stance.
On Wednesday, Fetterman criticized Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, stating, “Americans have died, and this doesn’t seem to be about the core things like securing the border.” He also noted that Noem’s predecessor under former President Biden, Alexander Mayorkas, was “incompetent.”
“Our party, my party, we failed at the border during the Biden administration. It was a disaster,” Fetterman added.
