Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Newsmax TV the state's new law banning sanctuary communities seeks to "ensure the safety and security of our community."
"The reason why Texas has banned sanctuary cities is so we can prevent crimes like Kate Steinle, who was gunned down in California by an illegal immigrant who had been repeatedly deported but came back in because of the sanctuary city policies in San Francisco," Abbott told Thursday's "The Joe Pags Show."
He signed the legislation into law last month. Steinle was killed in 2015.
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"But it's not just Kate Steinle," Abbott added. "In Texas, we've had people gunned down by people like that, including Welton Betts.
"He was gunned down by somebody who was in the state of Texas illegally who had been deported previously."
Betts was killed last September at a suburban Dallas gas station after attending a Cowboys game with his wife.
"We cannot allow Texans or Americans to be gunned down in situations like this," Abbott told Pags. "As governor, I'm not going to allow that unsafe type of policy to exist here in Texas."