Immigrant Charged with Murder Deported 5 Times

Prosecutors in San Francisco have charged an illegal immigrant with the murder of a woman at a popular sightseeing destination.

Francisco Sanchez was charged in the death of Kathryn Steinle, who was shot and killed last Wednesday while she and her father were walking on Pier 14.

San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi has defended his office's decision to release Sanchez last April, even though he had a long criminal record and had been deported five times.

Sanchez was back on the streets after city officials disregarded a request from federal immigration authorities to keep him locked up.

San Francisco is one of dozens of cities and counties across the United States that doesn't cooperate completely with the federal government on immigration, calling itself a "sanctuary" for people in the country illegally.

The incident has reignited the debate over illegal immigration. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said both sides are wrong.

He believes federal authorities could have acted in this case and gotten Sanchez out of the country.

"I.C.E. knows about San Francisco's sanctuary policy. It's a bad policy, but they know about it. Why did they turn him over to them when they could have deported him again?" Goodlatte said.

The White House said Republicans are at fault for not supporting the president's immigration reform.