U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) announced he will lift his hold and support a legislative package after receiving a commitment from Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) to allow a vote on Graham’s bill aimed at ending sanctuary city policies.
Graham said that Thune has agreed to support a vote on his legislation, which would make it a federal crime for state and local officials to knowingly violate federal immigration laws. “He just informed me that he is supportive of my efforts to have a vote on my bill to end sanctuary city policies once and for all, by making it a federal crime for state and local officials to willfully violate federal immigration laws. The American people overwhelmingly support ending sanctuary city policies. In my view, sanctuary city policies are the root cause of the problems we face. I also applaud President Trump for trying to lower the temperature, but not abandoning his efforts to clean up the Biden immigration fiasco,” Graham stated.
The senator also highlighted that Thune supports, at an undetermined time, a vote on Graham’s amendment related to individuals and groups affected by the Department of Justice’s Arctic Frost investigation led by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Graham noted: “Leader Thune also supports, at a time to be determined, a vote on creating the ability for groups and private citizens, not members of Congress, that may have been harmed by Jack Smith and the Biden DOJ to have their day in court. There are over 430 Republican-aligned groups and individuals caught up in the Biden DOJ dragnet. Jack Smith and his team issued more than 190 subpoenas in service of a politically motivated investigation. There has to be a remedy to this miscarriage of justice, and I will continue to seek one.”
Graham added his appreciation for Thune’s involvement: “I very much appreciate Leader Thune going to bat for the cause of ending the lawlessness and chaos created by sanctuary city policies, and allowing groups and private citizens harmed by Jack Smith to have their day in court.”
Background information provided indicates that Graham introduced legislation this week targeting sanctuary cities with further details available through official channels. Additionally, he seeks measures allowing notification requirements if phone records of members of Congress not under criminal investigation are subpoenaed.
“I will lift my hold and vote for the package,” Graham concluded.
