Sanctuary cities plan to defy immigration law, still

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.