It truly is incredible how much of our nation’s problem with illegal immigration could simply be solved by enforcing existing law.
We now have between 10 and 15 million illegal immigrants in America, imposing a $113 billion annual cost on taxpayers. And of course, that $113 billion annual cost doesn’t include the costs associated with illegals displacing American jobs, and putting downward pressure on American wages (which does reduce the amount tax revenue).
And despite the massive costs, there are hundreds of cities and municipalities that refuse to comply with federal immigration laws. Over 60% of the nation’s illegal immigrants live in just 20 sanctuary cities, so combating such unlawful policies is key in reducing the number of illegals in America.
Most sanctuary cities have made it clear that they plan on defying the Trump Administration’s efforts to get them to comply with federal law – and that’s proving to be irrelevant, because federal enforcement is coming to them whether they like it or not.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Thomas D. Homan says his team, unshackled by President Donald Trump, is “open for business” and planning to target sanctuary cities with additional resources and 10,000 new agents.
And he’s not sorry about it.
Homan told The Washington Examiner on Tuesday that deportation targets have surged now that President Trump has “taken the handcuffs off of law enforcement.” The top ICE official explained that illegal border crossings have plummeted by nearly 70% since Trump took office, “arrests inside the country have jumped 40% and that demands for illegal criminals in local jails has skyrocketed 80%.”
Now that illegal crossing have dropped to “a historic low,” according to Homan, border officers can turn their attention to illegal immigrants settled in the country, including those in sanctuary cities, of which there are over 300 in the United States.
Such cities evade federal law and shield illegal immigrants detained by enforcement officers within the city from ICE. Homan is not a fan, calling such policies “ludicrous.”
“In the America I grew up in, cities didn’t shield people who violated the law,” said the official.
H/T The Daily Wire
Those so-called sanctuaries will quickly find their cities to be better places to live when they’re forced to ditch their beloved policies. Phoenix recently gave up their sanctuary status – which coincided with a decline in crime.
Meanwhile, only 35% of Americans say they personally would want to live in a sanctuary city, so perhaps these cities will do a better job of attracting new residents once they’re forced to give up their sanctuary status.
What do you think about this new Trump Administration policy? Should sanctuary cities be ended? Let us know your thoughts below and share this story on Facebook and Twitter!
