Virginia’s new governor, Abigail Spanberger, has made a big mistake. One January 17, Governor Spanberger signed Executive Order 1, which rescinds a previous directive from former Governor Glenn Youngkin that had required state police and corrections agencies to cooperate with ICE. I assume that like me most American’s want better control over illegal immigration and some, like me, what more legal immigration.
Surely when illegal immigrants are caught and convicted of a crime, they should be deported. Such persons are generally held in American jails. Thus, the proper and most efficient way to deport them is for local officials to turn them over to ICE. Governor Spanberger has made Virginia a sanctuary state. While the overwhelming majority of illegal immigrants have not committed any crimes other than overstaying their visas, President Trump even in his first term was determined to deport them, presumable at the urging of the immigrant hater Steven Miller.
As an aside, recently deceased CATO Vice President David Boaz’s husband was also named Steven Miller and depending on which one we were referring to we said, “the good Steven Miller” or “the bad Steven Miller.” Even though first term Trump didn’t resort to masked ICE agents grabbing foreign looking people off the street, his push to deport illegals was very disruptive. “Illegal aliens”
We need to take a another shot at passing immigration reform legislation identical or similar to the 2013 legislation that passed the Senate but not the House. In the meantime, the masked ICE agents should be limited to deporting illegal immigrants who have been properly convicted of crimes. Their current behavior is disgusting and turning good hearted American’s off (that excludes the Bad Steven Miller, of course) on the whole effort. This includes arresting reporters and American citizens in complete violation of our principles and laws. The Justice Department should take time off from prosecuting Trump’s critics and prosecute these ICE crimes (including murder). Trump seems to be reducing illegal immigration by making America as unattractive as possible, hardly making America great again.
The list of ICE misbehavior is long and growing: “Minnesota immigration detained US citizen”
But the attack on our values runs deeper than just violating our laws as explained in an article by Radley Balko:
“The lies this administration is telling about Ms. Good aren’t those you deploy as part of a cover-up. They’re those you use when you want to show you can get away with anything. They’re a projection of power….
“It’s one thing to tank or slow-walk an investigation. It’s quite another to publicly declare that no investigation will happen on any level and then announce that you’ll be investigating the victim’s partner and supporters instead. Both paths are unethical and corrupt. Undermining an investigation at least pays lip service to the idea of accountability and public trust. The administration’s actions in Ms. Good’s case are a declaration that there will be no accountability and that it would prefer to instill fear rather than trust.”
Sanctuary cities and states should cooperate with Immigration officials by handing over illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes and Congress should get serious about passing sensible legislation. “Immigrants from hell” “We need comprehensive immigration reform now” In the mean time ICE should take off their masks and get off the street.
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