The Bluster and Demise of Sanctuary Cities

There is a huge difference between true caring and indignant self-righteousness, a fact that the mayors of many sanctuary cities are now learning. It’s one thing to climb up on your soap box and declare that immigration makes communities stronger when you have no idea what you’re talking about. The truth is that these cities never had any intention of being sanctuaries for anyone. They never dreamed that the overflow would reach them. So they smugly smirked and ridiculed the governors and mayors of border cities and states, dismissing the immigration mess and open borders as someone else’s problem.

Now their holier-than-thou attitudes have dissipated into whining. Their smugness has been replaced with poor me syndrome, as they begin to understand the full weight of the issue.

Two shining examples of rhetoric over reality are, of course, New York and Chicago.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams trumpeted the fact that NYC would welcome and shelter immigrants. That was until both Texas and Florida began to send buses and planeloads of illegal aliens to his city. Soon — within weeks, actually — Adams was bemoaning his city’s fate. He went crying to the White House for financial help and threatened legal action against non-sanctuary cities if they wouldn’t help him by accepting some of the city’s overflow.

At a recent town hall, Adams was singing an entirely different tune while proving he was still a liberal by blaming everyone else. He whined that the raging migrant crisis would destroy New York City and even criticized Biden for ignoring his pleas for financial help. He accused Biden of providing no support for the thousands of asylum seekers arriving every month.

Adams went on to say, “I’m gonna tell you something, New Yorkers, never in my life have I had a problem that I didn’t see an ending to. I don’t see an ending to this. This issue will destroy New York City. Destroy New York City.”

He then blasted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for having the nerve to send illegal aliens to a sanctuary city. “Go item-for-item on what Eric Adams ran for as a candidate and look at what we accomplished in twenty months: We turned this city around in twenty months, and then what happened? Started with a madman down in Texas who decided he wanted to bus people up to New York City.”

Madman huh? It’s laughable what clowns politicians like Adams become. The reality is Adams turned nothing around in twenty months. Truth be told, almost every measure of crime in the city is worse, largely because of Adam’s arrogance and defiance. How long did he think governors who were struggling daily with the immigration problem were going to stand for being mocked by loudmouth liberals like himself?

Since Adams loves to brag, now he can brag about being ranked number one in something else. The Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) compiles data and ranks sanctuary cities. In 2019, New York was ranked as the second worst sanctuary community. Since then, the city has doubled down on its dangerous policies and has earned the number one spot on the IRIL list.

Congratulations New York: You are the Most Dangerous Sanctuary Community in America!

IRIL’s Executive Director and General Counsel Dale Wilcox explained the ranking system: “These communities have earned their places on this list because of incredibly poor leadership at the city, county, and state levels. Data overwhelmingly shows that sanctuary policies lead to more crime, fear, and death. The leaders of these communities should not escape accountability for the damage they have caused. Their residents deserve much more.”

Wilcox is correct: the citizens do deserve much more, but they won’t find it in Chicago. After watching Beetlejuice doppelganger Lori Lightfoot destroy the town, the citizens of the windy city discovered that they hadn’t reached the bottom of the barrel yet and elected Brandon Johnson.

Chicago has taken to housing illegals in police stations, and just last week it was reported that some of those being sheltered were committing crimes against the officers sheltering them. Ironic, isn’t it? At least those folks won’t have to move. The crimes ranged from theft of police equipment to assault and battery.

Chicago has been sheltering immigrants in schools, police stations, and anywhere possible for months, but the problems are getting worse. With people in such tight quarters, tensions are bound to rise. Fights are not uncommon and neither is crime. Drug dealing, assaults, prostitution, and robberies have increased. Residents have been pushed to the brink and are threatening to take matters into their own hands if circumstances don’t improve. The problem is that circumstances won’t improve, because Johnson will not concede that providing asylum for people here illegally places everyone, including the illegals, in danger.

Then there are the health care issues. Sources have admitted that many illegal aliens are ill with diseases ranging from conjunctivitis to the flu and/or COVID-19. The issue is complicated because many of the migrant children are enrolled in school, and as we all know, that scenario allows for the rapid spread of any disease.

Never fear, though; Johnson thinks he has a solution. He has asked all fifty council members to locate a two-acre parcel of ground in their wards that will accommodate a large tent. The tents would house over two hundred immigrants and would include heating and cooling units, water hookups, and a mess hall.

Right, because nothing says progress like a tent city. Immigrant and Refugee Rights Committee Chairman Alderman Andre Vasquez is apparently just as delusional as Johnson. He commented, “I think what should be made clear is, because of the scale we are looking at, everyone needs to share in the responsibility.”

Alderman David Moore disagrees. He believes that you have a responsibility to take care of residents first. “I’m a believer in help your people first, help yourselves first, help your community first. Then, reach out and help others.”

Moore is absolutely correct. That’s the same reason why, if you’re in an airplane and the oxygen masks drop down, you put yours on first so you have the ability to help others.

The leaders of these cities have no one to blame but themselves. They practically begged for this invasion by placing their egos ahead of their citizens. By continuing to govern in this irresponsible manner, they are only compounding an already dangerous problem.

Sanctuary cities must be eliminated, the border must be closed, and anyone remaining here illegally must be deported. We are a nation of legal immigrants who came to this country looking for a better life and anxious to contribute to American society. Those who come here illegally are already sending a signal that American laws don’t apply to them. In far too many cases, they are not arriving to contribute, but only to take.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel, Chicago: Kamala Harris is arriving tomorrow for a campaign event.

That should help.