Illegal immigrants find some big-city enablers
By Deborah Simmons - The Washington Times - Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Dream on veterans, you starving poor, all you granddads struggling to raise your children’s children.
Your mayor wants to spend your hard-earned money to aid illegal immigrants and shield ne’er-do-wells.
Recall, Donald Trump pledged a double-barreled crackdown on illegal aliens, and federal law enforcement agencies are seemingly bent on making that happen, conducting coast-to-coast raids and making arrests. Our new president also promised to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities, and big-city mayors are fighting back.
One of the first mayors to take on Mr. Trump was Chicago’s Rahm Emanuel, the Obama buddy who announced his $1 million Robin Hood plan in December to take money meant for a property tax rebate program and shift it to a legal aid kitty for immigrants.
Next up, Los Angeles city and county leaders unveiled their hefty $10 million immigrant legal-aid pot, which includes private donations.
Not to be left behind, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser chimed in in January by ponying up $500,000 for a new grant program, Immigrant Justice Legal Services (IMJS). The money will be paid to community-based organizations, private organizations, associations and law firms that do legal work for immigrants.
Those dollars could go a long way toward feeding hungry veterans, especially those trying to adjust to civilian life after risking their lives abroad to ward off threats to our homeland.
Yet here the priorities are to protect illegals, undocumented immigrants and foreign criminals who have already set foot on American soil.
Here’s a list of what those D.C. grant dollars are designed to do:
— help D.C. residents convert green cards to citizenship;
— renew Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applications and work permits for D.C. residents;
— prepare asylum applications and provide legal representation at hearings for D.C. residents;
— represent D.C. residents in deportation proceedings;
— protect financial assets and custody for D.C. children in the face of potential deportation of parents or guardians;
— help people and businesses conduct affairs through Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers;
— finance lawsuits challenging the use of DACA applications for finding or deporting undocumented persons;
— file applications for special visas involving young people, students for D.C. residents or family members of D.C. residents;
— and provide legal help for reunification efforts for families with at least one D.C. resident.
The cities are already on the losing end of the illegal immigration battle. If the supporters of the “Day Without Immigration” protest on Thursday have their way, retailers and the hospitality industry companies will all lose money.
Protesters won’t work, kids won’t got to school, and supporters won’t spend a dime in the local economy.
Mr. Trump hasn’t promised to line up buses along major corridors, prod illegal immigrants aboard and take them south of the border. He and millions upon millions of Americans are merely saying that ours is a nation of laws. Follow the law, or skedaddle.
Again, mayors should be spending those millions on our veterans and seniors — the very people who have already paid their dues.
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