On Tuesday evening, Border patrol agents observed a man illegally entering the United States around 12 miles west of the Calexico Port of Entry in Southern California. The man was apprehended and taken to the El Centro station for processing. Once there, the man was identified as Salvador Mercado-Mendez, a 38-year-old Mexican national who has previously been deported.
Mercado-Mendez was sentenced to 10 years in prison after using a "firearm in a street gang act" in Santa Ana, California, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Mercado has been ordered to leave the United States on multiple occasions, most recently in July 2018.
The city of Santa Ana broke with other cities in Orange County, like Huntington Beach and Los Alamitos, by complying with California's sanctuary state policy. Supporters of the state's sanctuary policy argue that immigrants are less likely to report crimes if faced with the threat of deportation, so their solution is to protect illegal immigrant criminals by refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Such policies are more concerned with protecting the illegal immigrant community than with protecting the safety of the community as a whole.
President Trump tweeted his support of "the brave citizens in Orange County defending their rights against California's illegal and unconstitutional Sanctuary policies," noting that all U.S. citizens "have the right to be protected by Federal law and strong borders."
....release known dangerous criminals into communities across the State. All citizens have the right to be protected by Federal law and strong borders.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2018
No doubt the state's promise to protect criminal aliens is acting like a magnet, pulling previously deported criminals, like Mercado-Mendez, back to the golden state.
