"Jailed illegal immigrants pose policy dilemma" reads the Los Angeles Times headline.
The policy dilemma that sanctuary cities face is self-imposed. Simply put, the dilemma is: Do they support and help uphold all of the laws of the United States, including its immigration laws, and turn illegal aliens who have been jailed over to the federal authorities for deportation, or do they ignore immigration laws and release illegal alien criminals back into the community in order to maintain good relations with the illegal-alien community?
Apparently, leaders in sanctuary cities all over the nation are staying awake nights asking themselves whether they should put American citizens first or whether they should ignore their oaths of office and sacrifice American lives in order to maintain good relations with the illegal-alien community.
The theory is that if law enforcement officers in sanctuary cities refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials and if they protect illegal aliens from deportation, then illegal aliens will cooperate with the police.
So, what is the result of this sanctuary policy? Well, let’s take Chicago for example.
Chicago has strict gun control laws, so theoretically newly released illegal aliens won't have guns because of their desire to cooperate with law enforcement.
And, theoretically, a newly released illegal alien and all his friends and acquaintances will cooperate with the police in appreciation for the special treatment that the police accord illegal aliens.
Well, theory is one thing and reality is another thing.
Once again, according to the Los Angeles Times:
Mwenda Murithi, the Kenyan-born leader of a notorious Chicago street gang, was arrested 26 times after his student visa was revoked in 2003. Charged with at least four felonies, he served 30 days in the Cook County Jail for a 2007 drug violation. By law, he could have been deported immediately.
But Chicago officials did not report him to immigration authorities because city and county ordinances prohibit them from doing so.
Not long after he got out of jail, Murithi ordered a gang hit that resulted in the death of 13-year-old Schanna Gayden, struck by a stray bullet as she frolicked at a playground.
Chicago is not alone when it comes to releasing illegal aliens who, rather than cooperating with the police, later kill American citizens.
San Francisco's policy of not turning teenage, illegal alien criminals over to federal officials resulted in the death of three American citizens. The policy was later rescinded. (See the coverage of this story by CIS's 2009 Katz Award winner Jaxon Van Derbeken of the San Francisco Chronicle.)
So, elected officials in sanctuary cities have to make a choice.
Will they give in to blackmail from illegal immigration advocates who say that illegal aliens will refuse to cooperate with police unless police let illegal alien murderers, identity thieves, gang bangers, and other assorted thugs remain in the U.S.?
Or will they uphold the oaths that they have taken to enforce the law and to protect the citizens who elected them?
Unfortunately, it seems like blackmail trumps the oath of office in all too many communities and all too many American lives are cut short because of these misguided sanctuary city policies.