While illegal immigration is a federal responsibility, state governors matter

OPINION:

Weak leadership and politically motivated pandering from the Biden-Harris administration have launched America into a self-inflicted crisis. The unofficial numbers of illegal border crossers for March exceeded any single month in more than 20 years.

This catastrophe at the border puts children and families in danger, places our law enforcement in an impossible position, and risks exacerbating the pandemic in this country. This crisis could have been avoided, but instead, it has been spurred on by failed leaders in Washington and Richmond who pretend there is no problem at all.

Identifying this crisis as a crisis is where our leaders need to start, but there must be an understanding of how the policies of those in power have caused these challenges to go unaddressed.

While the Biden-Harris Administration idly watches the crisis at the border worsen, it is increasingly apparent leadership at the state and local level is also needed to ensure the protection of American citizens and taxpayer dollars.

President Joseph R. Biden campaigned on giving amnesty, free health care, education, and housing to those who break our laws, while also pledging to halt deportations of criminals. His policies enable lawless sanctuary cities — hurting communities right here in Virginia. This drain on resources ultimately costs law-abiding taxpayers, while incentivizing the crisis to continue to worsen.

Gov. Ralph Northam’s alignment with Biden’s radical open-border agenda includes in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s colleges and universities, putting Virginia students at the back of the line and prioritizing illegal immigrants over minority, low-income and middle-income Virginians.

As sanctuary cities have long been a lawless haven for illegal immigrants, Northam has now had multiple opportunities to protect Virginia families, taxes and resources, but in both 2018 and 2019, Northam vetoed legislation that would have prohibited sanctuary cities. His politically motivated decision allowed jurisdictions to refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. This must end.

And now, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, there are at least five sanctuary communities in Virginia: Albemarle County, the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, Chesterfield County and Fairfax County.

These policies fuel the crisis unfolding at our southern border. These policies are the ones putting those who break our laws ahead of American citizens who play by the rules and are trying to get ahead. These policies contribute to jeopardizing the lives of children crossing the border alone.

The lawless policies of putting illegal immigrants ahead of Virginians must end. During a crisis like this, we need open schools, not open borders. This requires leadership to stop the madness from those on the left, and Virginians have a chance to address that this year.

I’m proud to have the unwavering support of President Trump’s former immigration policy leaders backing my bid for governor of Virginia: former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli, former acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tom Homan, former acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan, and Tony Pham, also a former acting Director of ICE.

No other candidate has this kind of support.

As the next conservative governor of Virginia, I’m committed to prioritizing taxpayers and law-abiding Virginians to protect and secure our budget and our Commonwealth. And committing to keeping our communities safe.

I will stand firmly against the use of taxpayer dollars to cover in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants. I will defund those communities which declare themselves sanctuaries for people who flout our immigration laws. And I will hold public officials civilly liable for crimes committed by the illegal immigrant criminals they choose to harbor. I will also require employers to use e-verify to protect our Virginia workers who are still recovering from the shutdowns imposed by career politicians in Richmond.

While it is easy to focus on the current occupant of the White House and his utter ineptness which caused this crisis to unfold, Virginians must address the failures coming out of state capitals like Richmond, with leaders who are putting illegal immigrants ahead of those they are entrusted to represent and protect.

• Pete Snyder is a small businessman and Republican candidate for governor of Virginia.