After the murder of San Franciscan Kate Steinle by an illegal immigrant harbored in the United States by “sanctuary city” laws, some are now evaluating the cost of such policies.

Citizens in Spokane, Washington launched a petition drive to repeal their city’s protection law for illegal immigrants that says the immigration status of an individual “shall not be the sole basis for a contact, detention or arrest.”

After collecting a sufficient amount of signatures, the city council debated the idea.

More than 200 people converged on city hall Monday night to voice support and opposition to the idea, which was re-emphasized in a city ordinance last fall.

“It’s not about mandating that law enforcement ask the question, it’s just not limiting them,” says Stephanie Cates, KHQ reports.

Cates believes Steinle’s death was due to a lack of communication between agencies.

“There was a wall, effectively a wall, between local law enforcement and ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement).”

Gretchen McDevitt, wife of former U.S. Attorney James McDevitt, also spoke in favor of the repeal.

“I expect to be treated fairly,” she says. “We’re allowing too much to happen that is illegal.”

Council President Ben Stuckart accused supporters of the repeal of gathering signatures “fraudulently” and the petition itself of containing “biased language,” according to the Spokesman-Review.

Stuckart apparently didn’t like a paragraph which said city Councilmen Mike Fagan and Mike Allen “voted to prevent Spokane from becoming a sanctuary for illegal aliens, and to defend the right of taxpayers, police and other city employees to refuse finance and harbor of lawless activity.”

Rick Eichstaedt, executive director of the Center for Justice, threatened the city council during his remarks by “suggesting” he will sue them if they accepted the citizens’ signatures.

He also claims ending protections for illegals will actually make the city less safe.

“Witnesses of crimes who are facing the same issues are not going to call the police because they’re going to worry how the police are going to treat them,” Eichstaedt says, according to KHQ. “We want people to trust the police.”

The city council voted to send the petitions to the county auditor for verification. If approved, the repeal proposal would appear on the November ballot.