U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a conference attended by state and local law enforcement officers that criminal aliens are drawn to sanctuary cities. He blamed politicians, not the cops for refusing to cooperate with immigration officials–making their communities less safe.

“When cities like Philadelphia, Boston or San Francisco advertise that they have these policies, the criminals take notice,” AG Sessions told the police officers gathered at a Las Vegas conference center. “According to a recent study from the University of California Riverside, cities with these policies have more violent crime on average than those that don’t.”

The attorney general pointed out the case of Kate Steinle, the young woman murdered in the sanctuary city of San Francisco by a previously deported criminal alien. “We all know the story of Kate Steinle, who was murdered in cold blood two years ago this month,” Sessions stated. “She was walking a pier in San Francisco with her father when an illegal alien—who had been deported five times and committed seven felonies—shot her in the back.”

“Her death was preventable—and it should have been prevented. She would still be alive today if her killer had been imprisoned or deported, as he should have been,” he said.

Sessions blamed her murder on the city’s sanctuary policies that allowed her killer to “walk freely on the streets.”

“He walked the streets freely because San Francisco refuses to cooperate with ICE, the AG explained. “In fact, he admitted that one reason he was in San Francisco that day was that he knew the city had these policies in place.”

Sessions told the gathered officers he does not blame them, but rather, he blames the politicians that keep them from doing their jobs. “I know that you want to help,” he said. “The problem is that politicians have forbidden you to help. That makes all of us—and especially police officers on the front lines—less safe.”

He went on to spotlight on the 300 jurisdictions identified as sanctuary cities, counties, and states. “Some 300 jurisdictions in this country refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities regarding illegal aliens who commit crimes — even MS-13 gang members,” Session stated. “These jurisdictions are protecting criminals rather than their law-abiding residents.”

He chastised the jurisdictions and cited a recent poll that determined 80 percent of Americans believe cities should turn over criminal aliens to immigration officials.

“The American people want and deserve a lawful immigration system that keeps us safe and serves our national interest” AG Sessions Concluded. “And this is not asking too much. This expectation is fair; it is reasonable, and it is our duty to meet it.”

Bob Price serves as associate editor and political senior news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.