*Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2017 *

**The President's Weekly Address **

*December 9, 2017 *

"Help me, Dad." Those were the last words spoken by Kate Steinle as she lay dying on a San Francisco pier. A precious young American woman killed in the prime of her life, Kate's death is a tragedy that was entirely preventable. She was shot by an illegal alien and a 7-time convicted felon who had been deported five times, but he was free to harm an innocent American, because our leaders refused to protect our border and because San Francisco is a sanctuary city.

In sanctuary States and cities, innocent Americans are at the mercy of criminal aliens because state and local officials defy Federal authorities and obstruct the enforcement of our immigration laws.

Last week, in a final injustice, Kate's killer was acquitted on all of most serious charges, yet one more reason why Americans are so upset by sanctuary cities and open border politicians who shield criminal aliens from Federal law enforcement and all of the problems involved with the whole concept of a sanctuary city. They're no good.

We mourn for all of the American families, of all backgrounds, who will have any empty seat at Christmas this year because our immigration laws were not enforced. No American should be separated from their loved ones because of preventable crime committed by those illegally in our country. Our cities should be sanctuaries for Americans, not for criminal aliens.

Unfortunately, Democrats in Congress not only oppose our efforts to stop illegal immigration and crack down on sanctuary cities, now they are demanding amnesty as a condition for funding the Government, holding troop funding hostage and putting our national security at risk. We cannot allow it.

Every Senator and Congressman will have to make a choice: Do they want to protect American citizens or do they want to protect criminal aliens? Reasonable people can disagree on many things, but there can be no disagreement that the first duty of government is to serve, protect, and defend American citizens.

People can have different views on the technical details of budget policy or transportation, but no one who serves in elected office should disagree that our highest priority must be the safety and well-being of our Nation's citizens.

Thank you.

NOTE: The address was recorded at approximately 4:45 p.m. on December 7 in the Cabinet Room at the White House. In the address, the President referred to Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, also known as "Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez," who was accused in the murder of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco, CA, on July 1, 2015, and acquitted of murder and involuntary manslaughter charges on November 30, 2017.

*Categories:* Addresses and Remarks : Weekly Address*.*

*Locations: *Washington, DC.

*Names:* Garcia Zarate, Jose Ines*.* *Subjects:* Armed Forces, U.S. : Funding; Defense and national security : Border security; Immigration and naturalization : Illegal immigration; Immigration and naturalization : Reform; Law enforcement and crime : Illegal immigration, deportation of criminals.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201700899.