I see a strange, unlikely parallel between the promise of churches to resist deportation of “migrants” (correct term, illegal residents) and the action of churches 60 years ago to protect civil rights protestors.
The crucial difference is the civil rights protestors of yore were trying to demand federal law, while today’s resistors are trying to break federal law, specifically immigration law.
As always, the Open Border types — and that’s what they are when they “protect” illegals from lawful removal — frame their argument in terms of “protecting the immigrant community.”
As stated, that is a lie. And it is a lie aided and abetted by the mainstream media, which decades ago decided to cancel the word “illegal” in their coverage of immigration.
They commingle legal and illegal, which has led to an unfortunate result — the declining number of Americans who favor immigration, because they associate it with something bad. In fact, sadly, a majority of Americans want less immigration, according to polling by Gallup.
That is tragic for a nation of immigrants.
The immigrant community is overwhelmingly composed of people who came here legally — they waited their turn, they paid their fees. They do not need “protection,” because they have done nothing wrong.
The Inquirer among other news outlets fill their pages with red herrings when they write about “fear in the immigrant community.”
That is a fear-mongering half truth. There is “fear” among those here illegally, and there should be. With Donald J. Trump as president, some of them may be deported, starting with those already with criminal records.
I’ll admit, however, some legal immigrants also are fearful, largely thanks to the hysteria fanned by the media. With rare exception, everyone here with a green card is legal and is in no danger.
Across the nation, sanctuary entities — cities like Philadelphia, states like California — are conjuring up ways to thwart the legal efforts by the U.S. government to expel people who do not belong here. And it’s not because it’s Trump. They also thwarted efforts by President Barack Obama.
The Left will portray Trump’s plans as monstrous, evil, and inhumane, cooked up by Republicans. They will not want you to know that Democrat Obama deported more illegals than any other President since 2000, more than Republicans George W. Bush and Trump in his first term.
And Obama did that before the tsunami of illegals arriving here as the result of President Joe Biden essentially ending border enforcement. Biden’s intentions may have been laudable, but he did encourage law-breaking and that, along with the economy, led to the Democrats’ failure to hold the White House.
The Democrats have a tin ear. They are not hearing that after decades of complacency, Americans have reached the end of the rope when it comes to illegal movement across our borders. When the flood gets bad enough, even the mayor of staunchly liberal New York City has screamed “Enough!” as his city faces bankruptcy because of the costs to “protect” illegals.
Here in Philly, Mayor Cherelle Parker continues to refuse to answer straight up if Philly will remain a sanctuary city. At a City Council hearing Wednesday, city solicitor Renee Garcia said the current policy remains in place. The current policy is noncooperation with feds seeking to enforce the law.
But she is not the mayor.
And the Inquirer story, as usual, focuses entirely on the “migrants” plight, but did not have a single word from anyone supporting the planned removal of illegals.
Way back during the mayoral campaign, I asked the mayor by email if she endorses the current executive order prohibiting cooperation with the feds. No response. Just a few months ago, I asked the mayor if Philly would be willing to accept more “migrants” if New York or other sanctuaries turned them away.
No response from her through her press office.
Maybe she’s too busy achieving the impossible dream of learning to spell E-A-G-L-E-S.
Some government officials, such as Illinois billionaire governor JB Pritzker, has said, in effect, the government will arrest “my people” over his dead body. Democrats, who place empathy over legality, break out in hives when exposed to laws they don’t like. American law should not be a buffet where you can pick and choose what you like. If you feel a law is unjust, there are many ways to change it — through the courts, through legislation, through public opinion.
Church leaders also have threatened resistance to lawful orders of the government.
That brings me back to the civil rights era.
When local officials, or “outsiders” such as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., broke the law, such as sitting in at segregated lunch counters, they were arrested and went to jail. That’s where King wrote his memorable “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”
Probaby many local religious and political officials are willing to go to jail.
I hope they do. They might learn something new, like consequences of illegal action, and a cheese sandwich on white is not an ideal dinner.
Both sides are fond of saying no one is above the law.
Let’s put it to the test.
Anyone interfering with law enforcement should be jailed. That goes for the clergy as well as politicians.
The Democrats have a tin ear on more than just this Stu. My own party frustrates the hell out of me when they ignore common sense and the opinions of “the middle.”
🎯
I’ve grown older [75] listening to this. George Putnam days back in LA, conservative parents. seminarian. Hope Trump can be effective.
Mike Swift
Thank god Trump was elected to clean up this destructive mess that Biden and the democrats left us. Kamala Harris would have been a disaster.
Couple of points on this: 1) I get that the churches are trying to do the “humanitarian” thing here despite the law. There should be consequences for anyone who breaks the law (uh, TRUMP INCLUDED, by the way), and as a liberal Democrat, I have no problem with enforcement of the law. 2) If churches with to behave in an unlawful fashion or stick their noses into politics, here’s an idea: TAX THEM. 3) Living here in the South, I still have not personally been impacted at all by any immigration issues, thankfully. I have not seen hoards of Mexicans running wild in the streets. Maybe running wild fixing roofs?
The law is the law, yes, and I have no problem with government enforcing it. I just happen to believe there are a LOT of more dangerous things occurring already within this new administration (Paris accord, WHO, appointment of idiots to key positions, etc.) right now that should scare the crap out of anyone who understands the Constitution. Border crossing have been down dramatically during the past year, and calling this a “crisis” at this particular moment in time seems disingenuous.
Oh, and how ’bout those eggs prices, Trump lovers? How’s THAT going? And also, I think we’re past “day one” and the war in Ukraine seems to still be ongoing. What’s up with that?
Agree with all of that freeze. The tin ear has to do with refusing to recognize the status of “illegal”, refusing to see that most people don’t want to deal with pronouns and gender confusion or bathrooms, that most people see DEI becoming as oppressive as what it purports to fight, that most people don’t want men in women’s sports in the name of DEI (think my former employer Penn), that most people find it hypocritical for the far left to impose speech codes on us in the name of what? DEI? Having said that, I am far more willing to fight on the side that tries (clumsily) to make this a better world than what I see happening to our country now. The truly disturbing thing to me is how many Americans seem to have no problem with Trump’s deranged lies— no problem with watching Trump and the entire Republican Party descend into this dystopian kabuki theater of nonsense, lies and the most bizarre level of belligerence against most of the world, including our own citizens.
Keeping it real — the ONLY reason illegal entry is down NOW was because Biden, after claiming for years he did not have the authority, signed an executive order tightening the border ONLY after he saw his poll numbers crashing because of the immigration mess HE created with the executive orders he signed upon taking office.
Daniel should read Freeze’s comment above. It might “freeze” his MAGA rhetoric.
You should pay attention to what Trump has already accomplished not to the clueless idiot freeze. Trump has already taken care of many of his promises and the country and the world is better off already. And he’s only been president a few days.
I’ll give Trump credit for one thing Daniel. He’s not afraid to look like a complete fool in front of the whole world.
The nation and the world are waking up to Trump’s way of thinking. Peace, prosperity and fairness for everyone. You are so blinded by hate that you can’t see it. You are so out of touch you think like an idiot instead of the well educated person you are.
Like defunding cancer research, NIH and FEMA. Genius moves assured to make America great.
Trump is temporarily pausing grants at NIH. They have a 48 billion dollar budget and they are checking for waste like they will do in every department of the government. Another promise kept. What’s wrong with that? FEMA has failed the people many times. I agree with Trump and think the state’s should take care of local disasters and get aid from the feds.
More excuses for the orange turd. Yet gas prices and egg prices are up and the war in Ukraine rages on. You don’t pause NIH work to do a comprehensive audit and FEMA has failed us how? Don’t answer. It will be more delusional propaganda. I’m done.
I just bought eggs this morning $2.50 a doz. Ask the people in North Carolina how well they were treated by FEMA. You are as clueless as freeze. Stop hating and pay attention to what’s going on.
I, an American citizen, should be able to rob a bank or kill someone or rape someone’s kid, and claim sanctuary. If not, why not? If an ILLEGAL ALIEN commits a crime (kills or rapes or robs) and is given sanctuary from bleeding-heart lunatic Democrats, how come the same doesn’t apply to citizen criminals?
Sanctuary cities have no right to defy our immigration laws, no more so than Texas does in placing razor wires in sections of the Rio Grande River. Immigration was and should continue to be a federal issue. And I’m tired of pointing my finger not at ICE, not at any president, but at Congress, who makes our laws. The fact is we need immigrants, and the numbers are not a fixed factoid, but a floating one that needs to reflect where we need them. The obvious one is seasonal workers to pick our fruits and vegetables, a job which not many Americans deem to pursue as a worthy career. Likewise, though it pays well, our construction industry is manned by about 25% immigrants. Deport them all and what will happen to the cost of housing, especially as the demand builds in Southern California for construction workers. We should allow the number of legal migrants we let in float with need, similar to what we do with H1-B visas for more technically skilled workers. But will Congress ever get its head out of its ass on this issue? I believe, and I find it hard to believe I’m even saying this, that Trump may be the guy that can pull this off.
My how the tide is turning. Let’s me know when you want me to send you a MAGA hat.
Mark, your response would be clearer if you had used the adjective ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ throughout. E.g., line 3 where you wrote “…we need immigrants…”; and line 5 where you wrote “…our construction industry is manned by about 25% immigrants.” Are you saying we ‘need immigrants’ legal or illegal? Just curious. I like what you wrote but was a tad confused.
As I tried, and perhaps failed to point out, immigrants should be let into this country, not en masse, but through a controlled, need based system that is nimble and flexible. Unfortunately, these are things Congress is not blessed with, given it’s been four decades since they last passed any kind of updated immigration laws.
Mark,Good point on the need for Congress to look at flexible immigration policies, and something …anything soon
When President Trump campaigned he made it clear what he was going to do regarding illegal aliens. His plan has begun and hopefully it will continue for some time. Voters were aware of his plan and voted overwhelmingly for him. Let’s get out of the way and get the illegals and the illegal felons out of the country. If you want to come to the United States wait your turn and do it legally.