The Quote Below—More Misinformation from the Media
“When Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida bused and flew migrants to Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., and other so-called “sanctuary cities,” they might have envisioned they were exporting the same chaos as border states have experienced as they grapple with a historic number of migrants. They wanted leaders in these cities to admit they were wrong about their immigrant-friendly policies. . . .
“But Abbott and DeSantis are mistaken if they think they are teaching cities with sanctuary polices any lessons with their inhumane political stunts or causing their leaders to rethink their commitment to not treating migrants as criminals.
“Those governors and their political allies also seem to be confused about what it means when cities have sanctuary policies. Though policies vary, providing sanctuary means not turning migrants over to federal immigration authorities simply for being in the country illegally. . . .
“Abbott and DeSantis may also not realize that sanctuary policies were designed to help law enforcement keep communities safe. Sanctuary policies were developed because police in many cities such as Los Angeles were frustrated because undocumented immigrants were not reporting crimes or stepping forward as witnesses for fear of deportation.
“Critics say these sanctuary cities have laws and policies that shield criminals and obstruct federal immigration policies. But cities with sanctuary policies have lower than average crime rates . . . according to various studies. . . .
“It’s true that the transports of migrants by the Texas and Florida governors have been inconvenient to cities such as Washington and New York, which have had to scramble to find housing and other resources. But they haven’t done a thing to undermine the foundation on which sanctuary policies were built.” — Sanctuary Cities Are Working Just Fine, Thank You, Opinion, Los Angeles Times, 6/21/23 [Link]
Fact Check of Above Quote: It’s outrageous, this article informs us, that authorities would treat “migrants” as criminals “for simply being in the country illegally.” One might reply: And just what is it about the word illegal that you don’t understand? Their illegal residence makes them lawbreakers, and lawbreakers are criminals. Furthermore, illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. It involves activities that harm citizens, such as identity theft, tax evasion, and the use of benefits belonging to U.S. citizens. These crimes are seldom prosecuted, but if they were, the recorded crime rates in sanctuary cities would be considerably higher.
The article continues off the rails with its fanciful claim that sanctuary policies “keep communities safe.” This claim stems from the notion that if local police get involved in immigration law enforcement it will discourage illegal aliens from reporting crimes—supposedly for fear they will be deported. Extensive research, however, shows otherwise. One example was a study done at the University of Virginia about a decade ago. Subsequent research has confirmed its findings.
It was not at all outrageous that Govs Abbott and DeSantis sent illegal aliens to various sanctuary cities. It was necessary to make the point that people who aid and abet illegal immigration should experience its consequences. The migrant crisis has imposed a tab of $4.3 billion on New York City to provide housing and services for the newcomers. The mayor of that sanctuary city, Eric Adams, stated that NYC “is being destroyed by [this] crisis.” That’s a difficulty far greater than “inconvenient.”
This article insinuates its opposition to just about any kind of immigration law enforcement. But like most illegal alien advocacy, it lacks the honesty to state that opposition clearly. To do so would expose the extremism of these advocates. Their agenda works “just fine” to undermine our rule of law and our nationhood. This truly is the “foundation” of sanctuary policies.