The Quote Below—More Misinformation from the Media
“New York state’s Excluded Workers Fund — which provides cash payments of up to $15,600 for those who weren’t eligible for federal pandemic stimulus in 2020 — is turning out to be as bad an idea as it sounded in the first place. . . .
“The fund was created to help undocumented immigrants who haven’t been eligible for federal stimulus, and to that end the state forbids the fund’s operators from asking about an applicant’s citizenship status. The potential for fraud was obvious, and [Gov. Kathy] Hochul should have state police conduct a thorough, transparent investigation to reveal exactly how much was wasted.
“But the Excluded Workers Fund and its hasty, haphazard rollout are part of a pattern from the state’s Democratic leadership that appears to be an overreaction to the rise of Donald Trump. The former president turned abject cruelty toward immigrants into a sort of political theater in which he sought to show off just how monstrous he could be, to the delight of his misanthropic supporters. But Democrats seem to have taken the bait, and are now recklessly scrambling to demonstrate just how much they’re willing to pander in the name of undocumented immigrants. Witness New York City’s recent law granting the right to vote to non-citizens, an unnecessary and constitutionally dubious measure that is already facing legal challenges. . . .
“That’s not to say New York should slam the door in the face of immigrants, even the undocumented. The passage of the Green Light Bill granting driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, for example, was a practical measure that makes sense both for immigrants and for citizens who might cross paths with them in a fender-bender. And this editorial board in the past has debunked myths about immigrants being prone to crime or otherwise a burden on society; on the contrary, those intrepid enough to make it here tend to bring an honest work ethic with them. But we can make New York hospitable for all without showering immigrants with mountains of cash that dwarf the federal stimulus payments that U.S. citizens received. . . “ – Dem Pandering on Immigration Is Out of Control, Editorial, The Daily Star (Oneota, NY), 1/13/22 [Link] .
Fact Check of Above Quote: The “mainstream” media, generally speaking, are a wasteland of pro-immigration propaganda. In their telling, mass immigration has no downsides, and immigrants, even illegal ones, are special beings entitled to all that we have to offer. The editorial above, to a degree, is a refreshing exception to this general rule. It affirms the common sense of not showering citizens’ money on illegal aliens and not permitting noncitizens to vote. These rules simply uphold the worth and significance of our citizenship. How sad it is that this common sense isn’t more common in the media.
Unfortunately, after these high points, the rest of the editorial is pretty much downhill. This is particularly the case with its explanation as to why some Democrats have endorsed such crazy ideas as money for illegal and noncitizen voting. It claims that these ideas are at least understandable as an “overreaction” to the Trump Administration’s “abject cruelty toward immigrants.” The editorial goes on to declare that Trump’s “monstrous” behavior delighted his ”misanthropic supporters.”
This is rhetorical overkill in the extreme. It is grossly dishonest. The Trump policy in essence was simply enforcing immigration law, which open border zealots have always regarded as outrageous. It was their extremism that prompted Trump’s reasonable and successful steps to secure the border and safeguard our national sovereignty. These goals, it seems, don’t completely pass muster with the writer of this editorial who doesn’t want “to slam the door on undocumented [i.e., illegal] immigrants.” It then reassures the reader that these lawbreakers who cheat our system have “an honest work ethic.”
Yes, the good sense of the editorial is limited, but it offers a small hope that the media isn’t totally deranged on immigration.