Democratic governors and mayors are promising massive resistance against the enforcement of Americans’ civil right to secure borders.
Two Democratic governors and their political allies have created two groups — Governors Safeguarding Democracy and Governors Action Alliance — to oppose President-elect Donald Trump’s 2024 mandate to enforce the nation’s popular immigration laws.
“I’m going to do everything that I can to protect our undocumented immigrants and our society if someone were to come in and forcibly take our [migrants] away from us,” co-founder Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, told MSNBC on November 13:
“The fear is he’s talking about going after law-abiding [migrants] … who are working as construction workers or in ag[riculture] or in the hospitality industry,” Gov. Jared Polis, the wealthy Democratic governor of Colorado who co-founded the group, told CPR.ORG, “Obviously, it would devastate our economy,” he insisted.
Pritzker, who boasted of being a billionaire real-estate investor during the Democratic National Convention, added:
We want to make sure that there isn’t a violation of people’s rights with [workplace] raids, for example, that are done in coordination with local law enforcement on [migrants] who are, frankly, holding down jobs and have been in this country for many, many years. We think that’s improper, and in Illinois, that’s not something that we would condone.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he will not cooperate with Trump’s plan to deport illegal migrants.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) November 14, 2024
“In Illinois that’s not something we would condone…that’s just not something we’re going to accept.”
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Polis described illegal migrants as “Americans,” saying:
We have people that have made their lives here, had their families here, families of what we call mixed status. It may be husband, wife, one of them’s documented, one of them’s not. The kids were born here, they’re Americans. I mean, we shouldn’t be tearing apart these de facto American families. The only reason that the other member of the family isn’t fully papered and credentialed is because the failure of Congress to secure our border and deliver comprehensive immigration reform.
Both governors described the illegal migrants as useful to influential employers and businesses — even though the Democrats’ support for Biden’s 9 million migrants imposes huge criminal, civic, professional, and pocketbook penalties on many millions of ordinary Americans.
Many Democratic-run states — such as New York — also welcome migrants because they also help hide the failure of state governments to manage education, innovation, wages, and economic growth.
“Every tool in the toolbox has got to be used to protect our citizens, to protect our residents and protect our states,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey told MSNBC on November 8. “We all recognize that there is going to be a lot of pressure on states and state officials,” she admitted.
Her state is importing poor migrants to help offset the departure of frustrated young Massachusetts residents to other states.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is also calling for new laws to frustrate Trump’s 2024 mandate for the enforcement of the nation’s border laws.
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In Washington State, the newly elected Gov. Bob Ferguson is urging state-level resistance to Trump’s federal authority.
In North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a migration enforcement plan for the state sheriffs.
But Trump’s pro-American deputies are promising to up the legal and civic pressure on the Democrats.
“If you don’t want to work with us, then get the hell out all the way, we’re going to do it,” said Tom Homan, Trump’s top White House official for migraiton enforcement. He added;
We have a mandate. I think the American people just gave President Trump a mandate. That’s why he’s elected — to secure the border, save lives and deport people, especially national security threats and public safety threats. So if you’re not going to help us, step aside, but don’t get in our way, because there will be consequences.
Public opinion polls show rising opposition to migration — much to Donald Trump’s advantage on November 5.
In response, the Colorado and Illinois governors are now claiming they will cooperate with Trump’s plans to repatriate some of the migrants who have committed crimes.
“I want to be clear that there are certain circumstances in which the federal government and state governments should work together to allow deportation, an example would be somebody who’s been convicted [emphasis added] of a violent crime,” Pritzker told MSNBC, adding:
But they’re talking about rounding up people who are law-abiding undocumented immigrants in this country, many of whom are working, paying taxes [to state and local governments]. … So, look, I’m going to do everything that I can to protect our undocumented immigrants. They’re residents of our state. And I, also, obviously, need to make sure that whatever they’re doing in our state, the federal government, that it is actually within federal law or state law for them to do it.”
“We appreciate any federal assistance in apprehending and deporting people who have committed crimes and are a danger to Colorado, our fellow Coloradans,” said Polis. He added: “If there’s any additional federal assistance in combating Venezuelan gangs and quickly incarcerating or detaining or deporting people who commit crimes like robberies, we’re excited to have that help.”
Colorado has been hard-hit by the criminal migrants whom Polis invited into the state. For example, the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has taken over some apartment buildings, while local residents suffered a rash of auto thefts.