Gary L. Bauer: Police Lives Are at Risk Because of Feckless Politicians
Last year, President Donald Trump triggered the left when he referred to MS-13 gang members as “animals.” He said, “You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people. These are animals.”
Of course, the president was referring to the savage behavior of these thugs. But the media and open borders advocates falsely accused Trump of denigrating Hispanics and immigrants generally.
Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted, “When all of our great-great-grandparents came to America they weren’t ‘animals,’ and these people aren’t either.” House Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi mused, “You have to wonder, does he not believe in the spark of divinity, the dignity and worth of every person?”
The president wasn’t talking about legal immigrants or even illegal aliens. A quick check of the White House transcript makes it very clear that the president was responding to remarks by Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims, who complained that California’s sanctuary laws prevented law enforcement from reporting MS-13 members to ICE.
But there was a purpose to left’s smears. They were a grossly dishonest attack meant to distract the American people from the real issue: The vicious Latin American gang is a serious threat to communities all around the country.
MS-13 is known for its brutality and for preying on children. Last year, teachers, parents and students at a middle school located just 10 miles from the White House described their school as a “ticking time bomb” due to MS-13 gang-related violence.
The gang is also known for targeting police. The Washington Post reports that nine police officers in El Salvador were murdered by MS-13 in January. More than 20 Salvadoran police officers have fled the country and are seeking asylum in the United States.
Now it seems this vicious gang is targeting our cops. The New York Police Department recently issued a warning that MS-13 members were plotting to assassinate off-duty police officers. These thugs are even “conducting reconnaissance of (officers’) private residences.”
Sadly, our lax immigration policies are largely responsible for the fact that Latin American gangs are now menacing communities from Long Beach to Long Island.
Last year, the Center for Immigration Studies examined 506 cases of arrested MS-13 members. It found that nearly a quarter of them arrived here as “unaccompanied minors” during the Obama years — you know just kids looking for a better life in America. Except that 48 of those unaccompanied minors have been charged with murder.
Thankfully, the Trump administration is serious about controlling our borders and shutting this gang down. But too many politicians in both parties are refusing to support him.
Just a few weeks ago, we went through the longest-ever government shutdown in history because Democrats refused to secure our borders. In the end, Pelosi and Schumer offered the president just $1.3 billion for new border barriers. At that rate, it will take 20 years to complete the president’s border wall. That’s not serious.
In response, Trump once again demonstrated that he’s not a typical “business as usual” politician. He invoked congressionally authorized powers under the National Emergencies Act of 1976 to reprogram an additional $7 billion for border security.
These powers have been used more 50 times by every president since Jimmy Carter. Yet because Trump is serious about securing our borders, the left and its media allies are in complete meltdown.
I hope and pray that the NYPD and ICE can work together to prevent any police officers and their families from being harmed in the days ahead. But if an officer is killed, their blood will be on the hands of the feckless politicians and left-wing judges who are thwarting President Trump’s efforts to secure our borders and protect our citizens.
Gary L. Bauer is president of American Values and chairman of Campaign for Working Families PAC.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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