“What does it mean that your first act on entering a country—
your first act on that soil—is the breaking of that country’s laws?”
—Peggy Noonan, Speechwriter for President Reagan
Stopping illegal immigration has been a top political issue, which in part propelled President Trump to victory. On Day One of President Trump’s administration, he began cracking down on illegal immigration, as repeatedly promised on the campaign trail. On January 22, Trump signed an Executive Order that “suspends the physical entry of aliens engaged in an invasion of the United States through the southern border.” He also took action to expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) ability to arrest and detain unlawful migrants on U.S. soil. Thousands have been arrested.
These actions came as a breath of fresh air for many conservatives, who have long decried a need for tougher immigration policies that put America first. The City of Seattle, however, is refusing to recognize the laws of the land. Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office preemptively announced a directive forbidding all city departments from cooperating with ICE or any other federal law enforcement agency in their efforts to detain illegal immigrants. Incredibly, the City of Seattle has even been conducting “Know Your Rights” training sessions to teach illegal immigrants how to evade federal arrest.
City officials have announced that they are communicating with other sanctuary cities across the state and nation to create a unified resistance to the federal government’s immigration response. Trump has threatened to pull federal funding from cities that continue to declare sanctuary status.
“Seattle is a sanctuary city, let me be clear, that is not going to change,” Democrat city councilor Maritza Rivera declared during a City Council meeting. “Immigrant communities in the city of Seattle can rest assured that we have their back.”
Liberals don’t just want to “protect” undocumented immigrants who are currently in the U.S. They want to incentivize and payroll more illegal immigration. During Washington’s legislative session, Sen. Rebecca Saldaña is expected to once again introduce a bill that would extend unemployment benefits to illegal immigrants. Political Commentator Jason Rantz notes that these individuals are “by definition, not legally authorized to work in the United States.”
It is unfathomable, but believable, that Democrats in Washington would stand against the federal government’s attempt to reclaim America’s sovereignty by protecting our borders and ensuring the rule of law is restored. Out of the 50 states, Washington state ranks ninth in illegal immigration, with more than 300,000 illegal immigrants residing in our state.
We sympathize with those seeking refuge in our nation, but there are proper channels established in our immigration system for those in danger to come to the United States legally. Making exceptions for illegal immigrants does a disservice to every immigrant who has gone through the proper channels to become a legal resident or citizen. We respect the rule of law, and we respect the efforts legal immigrants have made to become contributing members of society.
Finally, remember the big picture.
Here is what we are told to believe: There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States. But other scholars suggest the number is far greater, if not at least double that at 22 million or moreillegals. Supporters see such immigration as “cultural enrichment,” but others see it as a type of “cultural invasion” that threatens the very fabric of national unity. All can agree that this mass immigration has a profound cultural impact.
For those citizens concerned about such mass, unchecked immigration, they point out that it has worsened crime levels, the education system, the drug crisis, the integrity of our elections, and our cities’ resources. More deeply, many see a cultural threat. People who enter illegally often do not live as Americans and assimilate, but rather they keep living the foreign norms from the culture they came, rather than participating in our shared language, customs, heroes, and history.
“The persistent inflow of Hispanic immigrants threatens to divide the United States into two peoples, two cultures, and two languages,” Samuel P. Huntington of Harvard University warned us years ago in the well-known essay “The Hispanic Challenge” in Foreign Policy. “The United States ignores this challenge at its peril.”
And so does Washington State. We urge Seattle officials to reconsider standing against the federal government’s efforts to protect citizens from the dangers of illegal immigration.
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