MADISON – Growing up in Arlington, South Dakota, we kept our keys in our pickups and the doors to our house were always open. Parents let their kids ride their bikes around town until the 6 o’clock whistle told us it was time to come home. We felt safe and secure. We trusted that everyone in our community looked out for one another and they had your back if tough times arrived. The same can’t be said today throughout the United States. Folks deserve to feel safe and secure, but that is hard to do after millions of criminals entered the United States illegally under the Biden Administration.
The recent chaos in the streets of Los Angeles and their liberal leaders, particularly Gavin Newsom and LA’s Mayor, doubling-down on protecting violent criminals once again highlighted the stark differences between California and South Dakota–criminals over citizens, chaos over order, and political theater over meaningful discussions. I’m grateful to call South Dakota home because we value law enforcement and public safety. I’m proud to be counted among our leaders here in South Dakota to side with our citizens and not the criminal illegal immigrants.
On July 1, South Dakota’s Sanctuary City Ban will take effect to enshrine our status as a state that will not harbor violent criminals who are in our country illegally. I was proud to be the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 7 this past year and turn this policy idea into law. SB 7 was so important to ensuring safer communities in South Dakota that it was the first bill that Gov. Rhoden signed into law as the new governor. It passed the legislature with overwhelming support and only Democrat opposition.
The policy in SB 7 helps support President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Noem’s agenda to protect our homeland. South Dakota voters helped elect a leader to secure the southern border including an end to the flow of meth and fentanyl that is tearing South Dakota families apart, and the president is fulfilling that promise. President Trump needs the support of states and cities to remove criminals who pose a danger to their communities, and SB 7 was the answer for South Dakota. Local law enforcement have been supportive of the President’s efforts so far this year. There were eight ICE arrests a few weeks ago, and 26 criminals arrested for other crimes have seen ICE detention holds at the Minnehaha and Pennington county jails.
This new law is straightforward: it blocks counties, cities, the state or state agencies from enforcing sanctuary policies and protects police officers who refuse to follow a sanctuary policy that is illegally adopted by South Dakota local governments. Since SB 7 was signed into law, five other states have followed suit with a sanctuary city ban.
My message for criminals in South Dakota illegally is simple–don’t wait for July 1, leave the United States now. You will not find sanctuary in South Dakota if you are a criminal here illegally, and thanks to President Trump, Secretary Noem and this new law, our communities will be strong, safe and secure.
