Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said on Fox News Thursday evening that Cpl. Ronil Singh, who was gunned down by an illegal immigrant in Newman, Calif., on December 26, was a poster child for how immigration is supposed to work.
“Officer Singh is the shining example of what immigration in America should be,” Christianson told Fox News’ Lisa Boothe, who was filling in for Laura Ingraham. “This is a young man who immigrated here legally. It was his dream to come to America. It was his dream to be a police officer — and he worked hard to achieve that goal. And unfortunately, he sacrificed his life trying to defend and protect his community,” the sheriff lamented.
Christianson said the 33-year-old husband and father’s line-of-duty death was a first for the small, close-knit town of Newman, which he compared to “Mayberry.”
During an emotional news conference Thursday morning, Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson talked about Cpl. Singh and the impact his death has had on the small department.
“You have to understand, this was not supposed to happen here,” the chief said through tears. “I have been to too many of these funerals and I never thought, ever, that I would ever have to do this. I do not want to be here today.”
The manhunt continued late into the evening Thursday for the illegal immigrant suspected of gunning Singh down during a traffic stop at 1 a.m. on Wednesday.
“We are working nonstop. We’re not sparing any expense to hunt this suspect down and bring him to justice,” Christianson said.
The sheriff stressed that the killer is armed and dangerous, so if anyone thinks they see him, they should not try to interact with him, but should instead call 911.
Christianson noted that he believes “immigration is good for America — if done legally.” He added, “Illegal immigration doesn’t serve our communities — especially criminals who … exploit our communities.”
“Whether you hate the president or love the president, border security goes hand and hand with national security, the safety of our communities, and public safety,” the sheriff declared.
“We need to know who’s in our communities that shouldn’t be,” Christianson continued. “We should be focusing on criminal activity without political interference. And there’s only one entity that can fix immigration, even though there are laws on the books, and we should stand by the rule of law and we should be enforcing those laws.”
The sheriff put the onus on Congress to fix the problem.
“Congress is the only entity that can fix this problem and until they decide to depolarize themselves and focus on what’s in the best interest of the people, you can’t establish a system of immigration that lacks bureaucracy, hopefully, and allows people a path to become good citizens and contribute to what makes America great. Officer Singh — he is the absolute poster child for why immigration works if done legally and properly,” Christianson said.
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