Confusion, misinformation and disinformation surrounding Aurora immigrants and three dilapidated apartments where many of them lived is creating a dangerous situation for everyone who lives here.
The surfeit of mixed, ambiguous or outright misleading messages coming from federal and some local and state officials about whether Aurora, and the state, will or won’t cooperate with federal mass deportation policies and efforts has, by itself, created a great deal of mistrust and fear among the city’s large immigrant community.
For those who would like to see everyone in Colorado, and the nation, who is not a citizen or holding a valid “green card” expelled from the United States, the growing chaos, fear and confusion among immigrants won’t lead to that.
Two weeks ago, Aurora city lawmakers gave nearly unanimous support to a resolution supporting the city’s large community of “documented” immigrants and their families.
Those on the Aurora City Council who call themselves supporters of President Donald Trump said they back his threats of mass deportation, dubbed “Operation Aurora,” because Trump had said he would target “criminal” immigrants in a massive federal effort to deport “millions” of people.
Trump has already outed himself in the news media, exposing the contradictory local claims of justice or fairness amid growing threats of roundups and expulsions.
First, it’s unclear whether Trump will by caveat try and change the rules of who is and isn’t a “legal” immigrant. Just before leaving office, President Joe Biden extended important immigrant and refugee programs that millions of immigrants depend on to live and work in the United States “legally.”
Thousands of El Salvadoran immigrants, in line for the green card process or even citizenship, have lived in Aurora for years, legally, under a Temporary Protective Status, allowing them residency and work permits. Similar programs have been created by Congress and past administrations for Venezuelans and other refugees
If Trump were to find a way to reverse and end those programs, tens of thousands of refugee immigrants in the metro area would immediately become “illegal,” and subject to deportation.
Some of these immigrants have lived here for many years and have built lives and families in the region, depending on a slow-moving system that promised to reward them for their hard work and playing by the rules.
Congress has already created a Trump-friendly bait-and-switch piece of legislation that, no matter how well-intended, runs against the very foundations of the nation’s system of justice: due process.
The Laken Riley Act, signed by the president this week, would require the detention of unauthorized immigrants “accused” of theft and violent crimes. The bill won bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
The flaw in the bill is “accused.”
American history, and recent American history, too, is rife with stories of people wrongfully accused.
Many of those who support the Laken Riley measure do so because they believe it’s an easy way to rid the nation of “criminal” immigrants. Everyone’s safety depends on police agencies being able to stop real crime and help the justice system hold real criminals accountable. Under the U.S. Constitution, that role belongs solely to the courts, not ICE, the DEA or local police.
The very nature of the bill elevates the provably false narrative that many or even most immigrants are criminals.
They are not. Repeated studies reveal that immigrants commit far fewer crimes per capita than American citizens do.
Most important, however, is that a federal police force, having to swear allegiance to Trump to keep their jobs, cannot be trusted to faithfully apply the law where it’s obviously needed. Only the courts, even under normal circumstances, can decide whether anyone is guilty of a crime in the United States.
By design, police cannot.
Not only does such a system fail under a corrupt federal government, it would entice anti-immigrant residents and others to make false claims against immigrants, invoking a mechanism for deportation.
This week, the Drug Enforcement Agency raided what they described as an “invitation-only” party in Adams County, packed with more than 40 members of the notorious TrenDeAragua prison gang. Hours after the raid and mass arrest, DEA officials said the majority of those detained were immigrants.
Some, many or even all of those involved in the party, allegedly rife with illegal drugs and weapons, may be actual members of TdA or may have committed crimes, at the party or elsewhere.
But only a thorough investigation can provide enough reliable evidence to charge suspects. And only the courts in the United States can impose a conviction.
So far, neither the DEA nor ICE have released any details about these suspects, but it’s clear that some, or possibly all, could be subject to deportation under this new, imminent, law, and probably others.
All of this double-speak and confusion has made law-abiding immigrants fearful. Many report losing work hours or even jobs as false narratives make others in the region open to reacting to fictitious claims, tropes and memes.
Besides being grossly unfair and patently un-American to our lawful neighbors, confusing messages about whether local police and political leaders will fold in with federal officials only creates desperation.
It will result in children missing school for fear of raids and deportation. It will result in immigrants becoming easy crime victims because they will not call police under any circumstances. It will result in disaster.
Local and state leaders and police must be confident, transparent and clear that they will protect lawful immigrants by adhering to state law and promises that local police agencies are here to protect everyone, regardless of citizenship status.
Anyone else seem puzzled by the Democrat Party’s obsession with protecting illegal immigrants rather than American citizens. I’ve never seen them fight so hard for any other cause in my life. We’ve all heard the reasons: America was founded on immigration, who’s going to do the jobs Americans don’t want and compassion for the less fortunate. I believe that all of these explanations are simply camouflage. I’ve even heard one Native-American say that since White people came in and stole the land from Native peoples, it is only right that non-Whites are taking it back from them. Now with this explanation, we may be getting closer to the truth. There is something far more sinister than compassion going on here.
I believe it was from the movie “The Godfather” that the quote, “If you want to know who made the hit, figure out who benefits from it.” Likewise, if you want to know why Democrats are so insistent on protecting illegal immigrants, figure out how it benefits them in the future.
To understand the possible reasons for this obsession with immigration, one must understand the changes to the Democratic Party since the Obama administration. Members of far-left coalitions have had increasing influence in the Democratic Party. One such faction is the Marxist/Socialist (Communist) contingent in the party. They believe that capitalism is evil and oppose our free market economy. They also believe in the inevitability of a socialist revolution where capitalism is overthrown by the oppressed working class. As such, they think if they can flood the country with enough poor and uneducated individuals, they and their families will naturally become financially dependent on the government. Once given the power to vote, they will become a large permanent voting bloc who will naturally vote Democrat – the party that invited them in, protected them and is providing for them. This will ensure the Democrat Party’s hold on power for generations to come.
Additionally, there is the “CRT” (Critical Race Theory) faction in the Democratic Party whose influence has grown considerably and has permeated our educational system. They believe that the biggest problem our country faces is systemic racism and White oppression. They believe that White people have always conquered and oppressed people of color throughout their history and always will. They understand that one way to fight White supremacy in this country is to flood the country with people of color and get them the power to vote. If White people become a minority in this country, it will be much harder for them to oppress people of color and our largely European/American based cultural norms in this country will have to change.
Are these more right-wing conspiracies, maybe. But we do know that unlike some individuals within the Democrat Party, who may have a big heart, career politicians, both left and right, are motivated by two things, and two things only: acquiring and maintaining power. Their obsession with unrestrained illegal immigration is likely an investment in their future power and control, and nothing more.
Drinking a bit deeply from the Kool-Aid, aren’t we, Kirk?
I spent years as a prosecutor. Undocumented immigrants have nothing on American citizens for committing crimes. In fact, it was a tiny minority of the undocumented that were arrested. For the obvious reason that being arrested is something they all want to avoid.
On the other hand, I was once called to a police station to talk to an undocumented immigrant who wound up clearing a murder that he had witnessed. I gladly told him, honestly, that neither the police nor I had any intention of calling INS. In turn, he identified the killer, who was arrested, tried and convicted of the murder. Oh, and the murder victim was a born and raised American citizen. As mots murderers in the country are.
Undocumented immigrants do the jobs you won’t do. They work for peanuts, because they can’t complain. They keep their heads down, work, and send most of the money they earn to their families back home.
They also commit crimes at a far lower rate than do American citizens. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/debunking-myth-immigrants-and-crime
Facts are stubborn things. Get some. You are showing your ignorance.
No one would suggest that your personal experience is not valid for you and your world – and possibly the world at large. But I have not heard anyone say that all illegals are criminals. Writing an editorial suggesting that this is being said is nothing more than “playing the victim” to distract from all the stories about criminal illegals being rounded up. We don’t know what percentage of illegals are criminals and whether that exceeds that of U.S. citizens. Asking “The American Council on Immigration” for data on this is like asking Big Tobacco about whether smoking is dangerous. They both have agendas. And most of the data cited is old.
What concerns me is what happens when all the “welfare” dries up and the money runs out to feed, house, clothe, and care for all these people. What then. What would you do if you saw your toddler crying because she was hungry and you were out of food stamps? I know what I would do. I would do whatever I needed to to provide for my family.
Sorry your immigrant gang member buddies are being sent back, Jeffy-poo.
The inevitable chaos is unfolding, just like we warned about. It doesn’t look like eggs are the only thing we will soon have to worry about. Before the election, Trump assured us prices would be easy to affect, then (after the electon) they were difficult to change, and yesterday Trump said there will be pain. This article discusses the old switcheroo on immigration. This is the season of bait-and-switch!
Mr. Ryan seems to have more of an accurate view of our history. Ask the indigenous people of the Black Hills of South Dakota whether or not they’d like the rest of us out. Our history of broken treaties speaks to their experience as does their refusal to still accept reparations for their land.
Well, Sieg Heil to you too. See you in church on Sunday.
Yes, to marxists, anyone who resists their stupid political theology is a fascist.
Since no one here has proclaimed themselves Marxists, your comment is, as usual, an irrelevant rant.
The article uses the word “Trump” 8 times and never uses the term “illegal alien” at all. The article is about Trump and not about illegal aliens. The agenda is obvious.
MAGA flourishes in ambiguity. The penchant for conspiracy theories and QAnon’s idiotic stories about liberals drinking the blood of children at some pizza joint is just that – idiotic. When Trump came down the elevator we all were treated to his brand of certainty and belief in stories. The first thing out of his mouth was a BS story about governments “sending” us their worst drug dealers, rapists, and murderers. Nobody was “sending” immigrants to our border. A lot were trying to escape criminal regimes! Listen closely to Trump’s words – some, I suppose, are fine people. He started by painting most as horrible, but, as an aside, allowed that some were ok. That’s what he does with everything – make ambiguous statements and then try to clean it up. In a word, chaos! He figures if he’s not crystal clear, the bigots he places in the government will figure out a way to make it worse and reach his intended purpose. He’s the most worthless human on the planet precisely because he’s seized immense power and, as yet, has done nothing positive with it.
President Trump is a flawed man. He has a penchant for opening his mouth before he engages his brain. It seems like the “editor function” is disabled at times. He can behave very unpresidential. He says things like using military force to acquire Greenland that are cringeworthy. But adjectives like “evil,” or “worthless” are over-the-top.
Yep. I read a good article about 50 years ago called “Why Nothing Works”. The gist of the article was that American management only cared that you know they are in charge. The article said that they would destroy the entire organization to prove to you that they are in charge. Our politicians constantly sacrifice all of our futures for their immediate image and benefit. Over and over I have seen incompetence and dishonesty ignored by those in charge. But ask too many questions and you are a threat to their image and control. Thus, they must attack you and label you to keep them from being exposed.