So-called Sanctuary Cities have popped up in the U.S. over the past half-decade or so. As of April 16, 2019, nine states including California, Illinois, and New Jersey claim to be Sanctuary States, while numerous counties and cities in other states also say they will protect illegal immigrants by refusing to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
On Monday, Montgomery County, Maryland’s largest county, officially joins the list. County Executive Marc Elrich will sign an executive order on Monday that will keep the area from cooperating with ICE, even though the policy has been unofficially on the books for some time.
“The Promoting Community Trust Executive Order aims to reaffirm current county policy and improve community security by ensuring that immigrant and otherwise vulnerable communities can engage with county departments,” Elrich said in a statement provided to WTOP.
The policy ensures that county agencies do not ask those who seek help about their immigration status, the outlet reported. Nor will these agencies cooperate with ICE.
Marcus Jones, the county’s acting police chief, told WTOP that the policy has been already put into practice.
“We have no direct contact with ICE about any immigration issues,” Jones told the outlet. “We’re not doing any operations with ICE in Montgomery County.”
Jones said the police department would not even assist ICE in deporting someone already in police custody. He told WTOP that ICE officials would need to independently track that person.
“That’s not our job to monitor that,” he said. “That’s forbidden against our policy.”
Last weekend, ICE conducted raids designed to catch and deport illegal immigrants who were on final orders of removal. Those targeted for deportation were dangerous criminals who posed a threat to their community. Naturally, the left-wing media ignored this and reported as though the raids were designed to break up families.
Illegal immigration began to reach crisis levels under former President Barack Obama, when more migrants crossed the border than border patrol was able to care for. This resulted in makeshift detention centers with chain-linked fencing — “cages” — or crowded facilities. Under President Donald Trump, the media became outraged over this same treatment, claiming Republicans were “putting kids in cages” and tearing apart families.
They have yet to stop and consider what possible alternatives are out there. When thousands are entering the country illegally, where do Democrats and their media counterparts want them to be housed? In Marriott hotels? As to separating families, do these same people want the children sent to jail with their parents for their parents’ crimes? Do they want open borders where the illegal immigrants are free to enter our country without any vetting and take up residency?
As for the conditions of the facilities, again, ICE and border patrol were overwhelmed, and congress (thanks to Democrats) has been slow to provide additional resources so that they can provide basic necessities to those who have entered the U.S. illegally and are waiting to have their cases heard by immigration judges.