In California we’ve become accustomed to our “leaders” going out of their way to give things to illegal aliens, from college tuition to driver’s licenses and everything in between, but somehow thought they’d have to draw the line at breaking federal law. That illusion was shattered last week when the state’s Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, held a press conference threatening federal law enforcement agencies and employers with dire consequences if they attempted to uphold or comply with federal immigration law in the state.
If you haven’t been following the issue, California’s new “sanctuary state” laws essentially prohibit the use of any state funds, personnel, or buildings for immigration enforcement, and prohibit employers from sharing information about their employees’ immigration status or employment documents (such as on an I-9) with federal authorities without a court order.
As I watched the press conference, I became enraged that my state government would prioritize the “rights” of illegal aliens over the safety of my family. I spoke to Fight Sanctuary State’s Don Rosenberg, who is leading an effort to repeal the new laws, to see what he thought about Becerra’s remarks. When we first spoke he didn’t have a lot to say, just that, “I’m trying to comprehend the incomprehensible.” He later sent me an email with his thoughts.
“It’s not often in my life that I have been at a loss for words, but after watching Becerra explain how EVERYONE must obey the new laws, I’m tongue tied. Not because I don’t know what to say, but because I don’t know what he said.
“What I heard Becerra say is that if you are a citizen of California you cannot abide by federal law as it concerns illegal aliens. You must follow California law. To hell with the Supremacy Clause. To hell with right and wrong. You have no rights, but those here illegally do.
“You must follow the law even if it means you are guilty of obstruction of justice. You must protect, aid and abet and harbor illegal aliens - because they have more rights than you do.
“Orval Faubus must be proud. Not because he would agree with who you are protecting, but because he would cherish your blatant disregard of federal law. His despicable attempt to ‘protect’ whites from blacks is no different than California’s outrageous attempt to protect illegal immigrant criminals from receiving the justice they so richly deserve - while claiming the purpose is greater public safety.”
Hearing Becerra, Kevin De Leon, and Jerry Brown say these laws somehow make Californians safer is a joke. They put everyone at risk, especially communities with large numbers of immigrants, since local jails are forced to release criminals they’re previously reported to ICE back into the community, and ICE is now forced to apprehend them in these neighborhoods instead of at a secure jail.
“He calls these illegal alien criminals ‘Californians.’ Mr. Becerra, let me remind you that people who illegally invade California are no more Californians than I would be a Becerra if I broke into your home and refused to leave. You’re not asking anyone to ‘respect their privacy.’ You’re asking people to protect illegal aliens from prosecution and deportation.
“How do you spell hypocrite? B-E-C-E-R-R-A. You threaten people, saying, ‘Ignorance of the law does not allow you to escape punishment,’ but show your ignorance by ignoring the fact that the people you want to protect are violating the law by entering the country illegally. You threaten businesses with $10,000 fines if they violate your ‘trumped’ up privacy law but ignore the fact that these businesses (maybe ignorantly) violated the law by hiring these people in the first place.”
Sanctuary city/state proponents always like to make a distinction between people who came here illegally and have been law-abiding since they arrived and those who continue to commit crimes. While I appreciate that a portion of illegal immigrants desire to simply make a better life for themselves, there is no such thing as a non-criminal illegal immigrant. They already broke the law by entering the country illegally. I have a number of friends whose parents immigrated legally from war-torn countries in Central and South America, requiring great sacrifice, and they are all vehemently opposed to people who did it illegally being rewarded for it.
“But if you are so concerned with everyone following the law, let me tell you where to start.
“My son and many others are dead because your predecessor, Kamala Harris, didn’t enforce the law. Neither did Gavin Newsom, George Gascon, or Jerry Brown. Hundreds continue to die every year at the hands of illegal aliens because the law is not enforced. As you said, ‘ignorance of the law does not allow you to escape punishment.’ When will we see you indicting these scofflaws for refusing to follow the law?
“With any luck we’ll see ICE come to California to protect law-abiding people from these illegal alien criminals then see a federal prosecutor charge you with multiple violations of 8-1324, to protect us from you.”
California has entered a bizarro world in which evil is rewarded and good punished; where criminals have rights and law-abiding people live in fear of asserting their rights. Whether through repeal, court action, or the federal government asserting its rights, change can’t come soon enough.