California Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez criticizes bill protecting convicted illegal immigrants from deportation on 'Fox & Friends'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Co-host Brian Kilmeade was joined by California assemblywoman Kate Sanchez to discuss state legislation seeking to protect illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes from deportation on Tuesday, March 12 episode of 'Fox & Friends.'

The bill in question is called the Representation, Equity and Protections (REP) for All Immigrants Act, and has currently been shelved after running into strong opposition.

What does the bill incorporate?

Introduced by Democrat Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer in February, the REP for All Immigrants Act seeks to remove restrictions on grant funds to provide immigration-related legal services to those convicted of violent or serious felonies.

The funding is sourced from the One California program, which provides $45 million in grants each year for nonprofits to provide free immigration legal services, and to conduct 'education and outreach' in 'immigrant communities.' It is intended to help those who cannot otherwise afford an attorney, according to Fox News.

The legal services provided are extended to those facing deportation, as well as those applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, naturalizing, and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). However, those convicted of certain crimes are barred from availing them at present.

If passed, the bill would do away with the restrictions, and update the program to include interpreters, social services, and litigation costs to the services provided.

"As long as I have been in the state office, I've worked towards ensuring the people are given a second chance. The REP for All Immigrants Act ensures racial justice and truly equitable access to crucial immigration services for all," said Jones-Sawyer of the legislation.

Kate Sanchez's take on the bill

"I have to tell you honestly, our California voters and people across the nation deserve transparency. They deserve to know their hardworking taxpayer dollars are going to things that we want to reward in California, not to expand a program that would have allowed convicted illegal immigrants to stay here," Sanchez told Kilmeade.

"It blows my mind," she said about the bill. "Honestly, it was one of those bills that you have to read two to three times, and it was shocking all the way through."

"It would give hardworking taxpayer dollars to fund and expand a program that would allow criminals, illegal alien criminals that have been convicted, to stay in California. Not only that, it would expand it to those across the United States with... the intent to come to California to live," expressed the lawmaker.

"We saw this bill late Saturday night, amended and pushed through the Judiciary Committee, which we would have seen this morning. However, the author has pulled the bill because we sounded the alarms and involved the community and the people of California, and the response was overwhelming. So as of now, it's shelved. It's not dead, but it's shelved," she added.