Cincinnati and Columbus are the latest to adopt policies that stray away from enforcing immigration laws, essentially making them so-called sanctuary cities for immigrants and refugees. One statewide official wants to stop those cities in their tracks.
Republican Treasurer Josh Mandel is throwing his support behind a proposed bill in the House that bans local governments from declaring themselves “sanctuary cities.” Mandel says this can prevent acts of terror.
“It’s been the exact pattern in cities throughout Europe and what we’re trying to do here is keep cities in Ohio and cities in America safe from radical Islamists,” said Mandel.
Mandel, who’s running for U.S. Senate, listed examples of violent crimes perpetrated by undocumented immigrants.
But none were acts of terror and citizenship status wasn’t listed as a motivation for any of the crimes. There's no word on whether the bill is a priority for Republican House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley responded to Mandel’s comments in a written statement. He said Mandel’s argument is a straw man for his political ambitions and that he’s demonizing refugees in the process.
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