32-year-old Kathryn “Kate” Steinle was shot and killed on Pier 14 in San Francisco on July 1, 2015 by Jose Inez Garcia Zarate. Steinle collapsed to the pavement of Pier 14 while screaming for her father. She died two hours later in a hospital as a result of her injuries, which included a pierced aorta. Her funeral was held on July 9 in her hometown of Pleasanton, California.

The suspect, Zarate, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico who had been deported from the United States five times prior to Steinle’s death in 2015. He had also been convicted of seven felonies in the country he has illegally entered at least six times. He was charged with first degree murder and possession of illegal narcotics on July 6. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was soon charged with an additional felony of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Zarate initially claimed he was shooting at a sea lion and he then changed his account and said the gun had fired accidentally. He confessed to killing Kate Steinle with a bullet that ricocheted and hit Steinle in the back.

The trial began on October 23 of this year under the supervision of Judge James Feng. The prosecution argued Zarate had possession of the stolen gun – which was a federal firearm – prior the crime while the defense claimed he found it at Pier 14 under a bench. Judge Feng agreed to the prosecutor’s request to instruct the jury on three charges – first degree murder, second degree murder, and involuntary manslaughter. Zarate’s deportations and immigration history were not considered by the jury when deliberations began on November 21. The jury deliberated for five days and gave their verdict on November 30. They acquitted Zarate of both murder charges and manslaughter charges. They convicted him of being a felon in possession of a firearm, which has a mere three year sentence attached to it.

 I was stuck in traffic the night I saw the verdict and I burst into tears of outrage. I am absolutely disgusted by the not guilty verdict put forth by the jury and I am devastated for the family of Kate Steinle. Their daughter’s killer will never get the justice he deserves. President Trump weighed in on the verdict and made it clear he believed it was “disgraceful” and renewed his call to build a wall in hopes of reducing illegal immigration. Attorney General Jeff Sessions threw the blame on the sanctuary city of San Francisco by claiming “San Francisco’s decision to protect criminal aliens led to the preventable and heartbreaking death of Kate Steinle.”

Sanctuary cities – one of the most notorious being San Francisco – are in direct violation of federal laws and refuse to cooperate with the national government when it comes to enforcing immigration laws. Bills have been passed in the House denying federal grants to cities which hold sanctuary city status. Kate’s Law, named for Kate Steinle, has also passed in the House and it would increase penalties on illegal immigrants who are attempting to enter the United States who have already been deported. The Senate must pass this law – to honor Kate Steinle and to protect the American public.

We must care more about the citizens of America than we care about illegal aliens – especially those who are involved in criminal behavior. America is the greatest nation in this world and we must protect it. Political correctness must be thrown out the window and we must do what is best for the people of America – not the illegal immigrants who have poured over our borders for decades and taken advantage of the federal government’s generous welfare programs.

This disturbing verdict makes one thing clear – the politicians and the people of San Francisco and largely Democrat areas place more emphasis and protecting illegal immigrants than the law-abiding citizens of this country. This jury did not vote against Jose Inez Garcia Zarate. They voted against President Donald Trump and his controversial immigration policies. This verdict was a direct slap to Donald Trump and seems to be a case of jury nullification.

A jury acquitted O.J. Simpson of two counts of first degree murder in Los Angeles in 1995 – despite the overwhelming evidence he brutally murdered Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. Simpson was not on trial in the infamous “case of the century” – the LAPD and Mark Fuhrman were. I see eerie similarities in these two cases and we must address the issues facing this country and end the special treatment of minorities when they commit heinous crimes.

It is time to rise to President Trump’s calls for immigration reform for the safety of America – and for Kate Steinle. She will never be forgotten.