When this story broke a few weeks ago, it was shared across social media not only as a disturbing story about an attack on law enforcement officers, but as yet another example of the steep and crime-riddled decline of our nation's capital city. As it turns out, there's another major angle to the episode. According to our former colleague Julio Rosas' sources, the man who shot three DC cops during that violent episode (thankfully, none of the resulting wounds were life-threatening) is in the United States illegally:
🚨: A law enforcement source has confirmed to me the man who recently shot three DC police officers, Stephen Claude Rattigan, also known as James Claude Julius, is in the US illegally.
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) February 26, 2024
He has an active ICE deportation order. I reached out to ICE for comment. pic.twitter.com/hN7ij1qa95
After Donald Trump was elected nearly eight years ago, DC's mayor put out a virtue-signaling statement, affirming the District's 'sanctuary' status. She claimed that such policies make the city "safer and stronger." Such embarrassing naivety (at best) has aged about as well in DC as it has elsewhere during the Biden border crisis. Rosas' report was published within hours of Fox's Bill Melugin relaying this development from across the Potomac in Virginia:
NEW: Local media in Virginia reporting an illegal alien from Venezuela who crossed into El Paso, TX in September 2023 and was released into the U.S. is now arrested & charged with sexually assaulting a minor in Campbell County. VA. Being held w/ no bond. https://t.co/4eX0JHQj4c
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 26, 2024
This alleged child sexual assailant illegally entered the country around the same time that another Venezuelan national and illegal immigrant was arrested in New York City on multiple charges. That man was released, of course, then left the state. Jose Ibarra landed in Georgia, where he went on to allegedly violate several additional laws before authorities say he murdered UGA student Laken Riley in cold blood. He allegedly bludgeoned her to death. I'll repeat what I wrote just yesterday about a heinous crime apparently committed by an illegal immigrant:
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As a point of fact, statistically speaking, immigrants (including illegal immigrants) are less likely to commit crimes than the general US population. But that's not the point here. The point is that Laken Riley's alleged killer should not have been in the United States. He should have faced real consequences for his previous criminal acts. If any of our laws had been properly respected or enforced, Riley would still be alive. Instead, she is gone.
I would like to see rigorous new data on whether illegal immigrants are still statistically less likely to commit crimes than members of the general US population. Millions of them have flooded into the country, in unprecedented numbers, during the Biden adminsitration. That's a massive influx over a very short period of time. The old data may no longer hold. But even if it does hold, that does not change the point that every single violent crime committed by an illegal immigrant is a compounded outrage because the perpetrators have no right to be here to do anything at all, let alone victimize people. Violent crimes are extra galling when they are committed by people whose first act in America was knowingly violating our laws. It is not bigoted or xenophobic or racist to notice and acknowledge this. And yes, "progressive" politicians and policies bear significant responsibly with these awful things happen. With a movement afoot to strip Chicago of its sanctuary status by some Democratic alderman (strongly opposed by the left-wing mayor), here's the leader of the Big Apple appearing to call for a partial reversal of his city's sanctuary policies:
Canarsie Brooklyn NY
— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) February 27, 2024
During a Town Hall Meeting the @NYCMayor states that NYC needs to modify the Sanctuary city law so if some migrants who commit felonies should be tuned over to ICE and be deported.
🎥 @LeeroyPress
For licensing email viralnewsnyc@gmail.com pic.twitter.com/yrBlTySAsj
I'll leave you with the White House's belated, perfunctory, brief written statement on the brutal killing of Laken Riley, in response to a press inquiry:
BREAKING: White House statement to @FoxNews re: murder of Laken Riley, allegedly at hands of Venezuelan illegal alien released into U.S. under Biden admin.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 26, 2024
“We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Laken Hope Riley. People should be held…
The president himself, who will deign to visit the border this week, has not said anything about the murder. His staff often rushes him out to make impassioned comments, or at least release lengthy statements, about incidents that are deemed to be politically important or exploitable. Riley's death clearly doesn't qualify.
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