, Columnist
A Law to Deter Violence That Won't
Kate's Law gives anti-immigrant partisans a talking point. That's all.
This law's for them.
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Legislation is often reactive. Crime rises, and in response legislatures fund cops, prosecutors, prisons. A high-rise burns, and a new law requiring fire-retardant construction materials is readied.
Kate's Law is both reactive and proactive. Named for Kate Steinle, a 32-year-old American who was shot dead in July 2015 in San Francisco, the House of Representatives passed the legislation on Thursday. The bill would raise maximum sentences for immigrants caught entering the U.S. illegally, with the penalties escalating for repeat offenses.