BATON ROUGE, LA - Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry issued the following statement after illegal alien Denis Yasmir Amaya-Rodriguez killed two American citizens Sunday on I-10:

"My thoughts and prayers are with the Chauvin and Starr families, who lost their loved ones to an illegal alien with a vast criminal background including charges of 2nd Degree Battery and Domestic Abuse Battery.

It comes as no surprise that Amaya-Rodriguez was living in metropolitan New Orleans, our State's only sanctuary city. Sanctuary policies encourage the further migration of illegals into communities and cost a grave toll in money and safety, as was shown in the tragic deaths of St. John Fire Chief Spencer Chauvin and Jermaine Starr on Sunday.

Sunday's tragedy highlights the need for a sound immigration policy, including the ban of sanctuary cities. Amaya-Rodriguez has been encountered by law enforcement over a half a dozen times in the last 5 years, yet he continued to roam the streets until he took two lives.

Why do we have to wait for illegals to commit violent crimes before we can deport them? Why is being illegal in the United States not an deportable offense?

Sunday's tragedy further highlights how illegal immigration is the public safety crisis of our time. Earlier this year, the Senate blocked common-sense legislation to end sanctuary policies. I call on them to join our State House and pass Rep. Hodges’ bill next session. New Orleans, and our entire State, should not have to lose any more of their loved ones and heroes."

#