OPINION:
News good and bad travels quickly. Donald Trump pledged to secure the southern border, and thousands of prospective illegal immigrants began reconsidering their travel plans. Even before President Trump has had time to roll up the welcome mat put out by his predecessor, the number of illegals crossing into the United States has fallen dramatically.
Open-borders saboteurs in American sanctuary cities are more stubborn. Their resistance persists, but their work to nullify federal immigration laws are exposed, and anyone can see sanctuary cities for what they really are, sanctuaries for the lawless.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly announced in early March that the number of arrests at the southern border had declined about 40 percent during the first two months of the year, from 31,578 to 18,762, trending toward the lowest number in five years. Americans learned of an even steeper decline from the president’s own lips: “Since the day of my election, we’ve already cut illegal immigration at the southern border by 61 percent. Sixty-one percent [and] we haven’t started.”
Immigrants making the trek from Central America may be needy, but they’re observant. Clearly, they’ve heard there’s a new sheriff and the days of walking right in are over. The Trump plan to secure the border differs starkly from the policies of President Obama, whose laxity on immigration has led directly to crimes like the rape of a 14-year-girl in the high school restroom by two immigrants, one illegal, in wealthy Montgomery County, a sanctuary jurisdiction just outside the nation’s capital. You might think the father of daughters would feel a little shame.
The 500 sanctuary municipalities across the nation are committed to sheltering illegal immigrants in contravention to the safety and well-being of their own citizens. They now find their sanctuary policies exposed in a Trump-ordered, weekly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) report “of non-federal jurisdictions that release aliens from their custody, notwithstanding that such aliens are subject to a detainer or similar request for custody issued by ICE to that jurisdiction.” That’s lawyer talk for refusing to give up illegals picked up for a violation of the law, and who are wanted by ICE. They’re released to melt into the shadows. In such places, the offenders can feel safe and the law-abiding can’t.
In an ICE report covering the week of Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, Travis County, Texas, topped the list of offending municipalities, releasing 142 persons for whom ICE had issued detainers that Texas lawmen choose to ignore. They were mostly Mexicans, with a sprinkling of Nicarguans, Hondurans, Guatemalans and Cubans. Their offenses range from assault with or without a weapon, driving a car under the influence, to sexual assault. All were sent back to freedom in the streets. Jurisdictions in 16 states declined to honor 206 detainers during the week.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has urged his legislature to enact anti-sanctuary legislation this term, but the measure is stalled in the House over amendments. The legislation would block the denial of justice grants to offending cities and counties, but immunize officials from civil liability for failing to honor detainers if a released criminal immigrant commits additional crimes. Such deterrence would have no effect on the problem, except to make it worse.
Every American has a right to expect elected officials, whether the governor, a mayor or a sheriff, to keep communities safe, particularly from crimes committed by those who arrive uninvited. President Trump’s calling out these officials for refusing to do their jobs is an encouraging step toward enforcing the law and protecting order.
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