I am an immigrant. I entered this country at an official entry station with the required paperwork and thus was given the privilege of being allowed to live here. If I didn't have the proper paperwork I would have been "undocumented." And if I had succeeded in entering at some unofficial point along the border I would have broken our immigration laws and would be termed an "undocumented alien." Let's be quite clear: undocumented immigrants are law breakers. After living here for several years and earning a living for my family, I became a citizen in the District Court of Chicago on March 30, 1971. There I was sworn in by the presiding judge, much the same as Arthur Johnston does here in Jackson.
The federal government has a department that enforces the correct way of becoming a US citizen. It is called I.C.E. --the department of immigration and customs enforcement. The mission statement of ICE states that it is to "protect America through criminal investigation and enforcing immigration laws to preserve national security and public safety." The department comes under the supervision of Kristi Noem, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.
But ever since President Biden opened up the southern border to allow millions of illegals to enter the country, the Left has tenaciously fought against enforcing immigration laws. Opposition to ICE has grown to the point where shooting was reported at the Dallas office of ICE on September 24. One detainee was killed, and two others were critically injured. Bullet casings found nearby had inscriptions that were "anti ICE in nature." Tom Homan, Trump's "border czar" and immigration enforcer, says that 70% of ICE apprehensions are criminals, and most of the remaining 30% are national security risks. He targets "the worst of the worst."
Kristi Noem revealed that cartel gangs are placing a $10,000 bounty on federal ICE agents and are offering a $2000 reward for kidnapping them. They are sharing photos of agents online to assist their gang members. Governor Newsom of California told ICE members not to wear masks. "What are you afraid of?" he asked. Now we know. Furthermore, ICE members have been threatened in Sanctuary Cities, especially Chicago, Illinois and Portland, Oregon. The mayors and governors of those states have supported action against ICE and opposed Trump's plans to bring in the military to protect them and wipe out crime in those cities. Those opponents claim that it is unnecessary because crime is not a problem. Maybe it's not personally for them with bodyguards and homes in ritzy districts. But residents in the poorer sections of town have a different story. The officials should look at the transformation of Washington DC, from a city with high crime, to a place now where it is safe to go out for dinner in neighborhood restaurants thanks to military cleanup.
The questions that trouble me are these: why do the Left want to protect the crime and alien criminals in their districts? Do they believe that we are a nation of laws, and that these must be upheld when illegal immigrants are given sanctuary in certain cities? Should these illegals be given more food, education, and medical benefits than ordinary US citizens? I'd like to know the answers to these questions.
Peter Gilderson is a Northsider.
