To Your Liking

(Graphic from Florida politics)

The controversy over sanctuary cities has each side arguing the moral superiority of its own position. One result is certain: the conflict between Federal and Local law enforcement has left the bad guys opportunities to exploit.

For example, if I were engaged in street sales of illegal drugs in San Francisco, I would have as many undocumented immigrants as possible working for me. If they were arrested, San Francisco police, following Administrative Code Section 12I.3. Restrictions on Law Enforcement Officials, will detain suspects for ICE only if they have committed violent felonies. Because of the explicitly declared policy of non-cooperation, SF police are especially motivated to release non-violent offenders as quickly as possible. My runners would be freed post-haste.

Legal residents or even citizens can also find this policy to their liking. If a bad-guy-citizen were accused of, say, breaking and entering, he could affect his most fractured, accented English and have a friend inform ICE that he was in county lockup. (Of course, it helps to have the right surname.) Either his act will be convincing to the locals who will release him before ICE arrives, or Immigration will take him away, whereupon he will produce the proper papers and again be released.

Hey, bad guys, come to San Francisco, Los Angeles, or maybe anywhere in the State of California . Whether or not you have papers, you will find our state to your liking.