San Francisco has served as a “sanctuary city” for immigrants since 1989; a view that despite carrying no legal weight has been reinforced by Mayor Gavin Newsom. Yet a triple murder case involving an immigrant has brought harsher than usual criticism against the policy.Twenty-one-year-old Edwin Ramos- an El Salvadoran suspected of being an MS-13 gang member- pled not guilty to the triple murder of a father. Ramos' immigration status has been disputed by lawyers and officials, while local and federal authorities have blamed one another for Ramos being out on the streets:
The (San Francisco) Chronicle reported on Sunday how Ramos, a native of El Salvador, was repeatedly shielded as a juvenile from deportation by city officials who failed to notify federal authorities of separate assault and attempted robberies he committed when he was 17.
Things took an unexplained turn earlier this year when Ramos, now a 21-year-old adult, was jailed on gun and gang allegations in San Francisco. Federal and local officials struggled Monday to explain the circumstances surrounding his release - given that his status as an illegal immigrant was known to federal authorities - when local prosecutors didn't file charges.
Ramos’ case has led to a firestorm on numerous talk shows over San Francisco’s “sanctuary” policy; right-wing commentator Bill O’Reilly lent his opinion earlier this week, for example.
Regardless over the rabble-rousing on immigration or whether Ramos’ committed the murders or not, the fact of the matter is that a woman is mourning the deaths of her husband and kids. Our sympathies go out for her and in the end she deserves for justice to be served.
Image- KCBS
Sources- FOX News, SFist, SFGate.com
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