New Bucks sheriff reverses cooperation with ICE

By ending a relationship with ICE that permitted several Bucks County deputy sheriffs to assist the federal agency, newly-elected Sheriff Danny Ceisler has declared Open Borders for the county.

Oh no, he didn’t, some of you say.

Oh, yes, he did, I say.

His justification?

Half-baked reasoning and misplaced empathy.

You can see it in this quote, talking about 50,000 immigrants in Bucks, reported by NBC10:

“Those immigrants are our neighbors. They are our friends. They are taxpayers,” Ceisler said. “And they deserve the protection of law enforcement in this community.”

Those of us on the other side are not talking about “immigrants,” whom we welcome. 

We are specifically talking about illegal immigrants, who, yes, may be our neighbors, our friends, or taxpayers. We don’t know what percent of the 50,000 Bucks residents jumped the line to get in here.

Sneaking into the country is no different morally than sneaking into a movie without paying admission.

Since when are people exempt from the law just because they are neighbors, friends, and taxpayers?

Both Left and Right jabber a lot about the law, but neither seems sincere when push comes to shove.

“Do you understand that immigration law is written by Congress, and enforced by the executive branch?,” I asked in an earlier piece. 

“Do you understand that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Patrol, the FBI, DEA, ATF, etc., are all federal agencies charged with enforcing the law?”

In his announcement of repeal, Ceisler served up the same hash I hear from leaders of Sanctuary Cities — namely that immigrants were “afraid” to call 911 to report crimes.

Why would a legal resident be fearful of calling local police?

I remember that Philly Mayor Michael Nutter had an agreement with ICE that the city would not furnish the names of people reporting crimes, or were witnesses, to ICE.

That was a fair and workable compromise, but the Open Borders types are never satisfied and eventually brow-beat Nutter into dropping the compromise.

Ceisler said, “One leader in the Latino community who wasn’t able to make it today reported to me that not a single member of their community had called 911 or felt comfortable reporting a crime since this partnership became public.”

Incidentally, not one of the Bucks’ 16 sheriff’s deputies assigned to immigration work arrested anyone. The cooperation agreement was signed last April with the previous sheriff, Fred Harran, saying his officers would only go after illegal people who were charged with crimes or had outstanding warrants.

Ceisler prohibited his deputies from inquiring about anyone’s immigration status, as is true in other sanctuaries. Why’s that? So we can never get an accurate picture of how numerous they are? So much for facts and transparency.

So we have this anecdotal evidence from anonymous and absent Latino leaders on one hand, while on the other side we have a well-regarded poll reported on by Newsweek showing that a large majority of Hispanics actually favor mass deportation.

Yes, that poll is more than a year old, and I am sure — thanks to ICE heavy-handedness — that the results would not be the same today. 

In fact, Donald J. Trump’s deportation plans, which helped him win the election, have turned from a majority plus to a majority minus in recent months.

But enforcing the law, or not, should not be a popularity poll.

I believe the majority of Philadelphians and Bucks people probably approve of the Sanctuary policies, which nullify federal law.

They blissfully believe they are on the moral high ground, protecting (from the law) their “neighbors.”

I have heard my own friends — and family — make that excuse.

In one heated argument debate with my father, he suggested one of our relatives entered the U.S. illegally from Canada decades ago.

“What would you do with him?” Dad asked.

“Throw him out,” I said. “Or are you suggesting special treatment for family?”

He was more like suggesting special treatment for everyone.

Sometimes the apple does fall far from the tree.

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Let me close by reopening the subject of Open Borders.

When you live in a community that will not deport illegal immigrants, that is Open Borders, meaning anyone who can get here, can stay here. That acts as a magnet to attract even more.

I am not going to make one of Trump’s favorite arguments — that they are all criminals. Only a few are, but all are law breakers, by illegal entry.

“Oh, it’s only a misdemeanor,” their defenders say.

Well, true, the first time. 

The second time it’s a felony, but if you think that turning a blind eye to misdemeanors is a trifle, shoplifting in many blue cities — hello, Larry Krasner — was downgraded as a crime and up went the locked shelves in your CVS.

It is axiomatic: If illegal behavior is tolerated, it expands.

Oh, I know how mean I am. (Aside from me having proposed a just solution to the illegal mess. Link available on request.)

Let’s forget it is immigration law that is being nullified. Let’s say it is another law.

Let’s say landlords don’t won’t rent to Blacks or Jews or gays because, well, it is their property and government has no right… 

You get the point.

Here’s another example. Minnesota is a Sanctuary against immigration law, other communities are Sanctuaries against gun laws. Think I am kidding? Read this

How do you feel about that?

Every city deciding which laws to ignore leads to chaos. 

It is a function of the federal government to establish immigration laws, to set the standards for legal entry, and choose the number of people to be admitted. And to remove those who break the law.

Local officials aren’t required to help enforce them, but they should never hinder them, as Sheriff Ceisler is doing.