California is a free-for-all sanctuary state. Led by far-left Gov. Gavin Newsom, the state rolled out the red carpet for illegal immigrants. Officials openly refuse to work with ICE, making it nearly impossible for the federal government to enforce immigration laws.
Like it or not, this is technically legal, thanks to the 10th Amendment and a 1997 Supreme Court case, Printz v. United States, which said the federal government can’t force states to do their job. But just because it’s technically legal doesn’t mean it’s right. Nor does it mean that nothing can be done.
California is harboring illegal immigrants for one main reason: power. Illegal immigrants count in the census, which boosts California’s population numbers, meaning more seats in Congress and more electoral votes. It’s not about compassion. It’s about control.
Leftists hold a firm grasp on Los Angeles. Skid Row in downtown L.A. is back to playing its role as the degraded wasteland of failed liberal policies, and the city houses just under a million illegal immigrants. L.A. proudly calls itself a sanctuary city and refuses to work with ICE. Providing for illegal immigrants — giving them cash, food, and resources — is a federal crime under 8 U.S.C. § 1324. It’s called harboring illegal immigrants.
That law isn’t aimed at restaurant owners or grocery store clerks. Lawmakers designed it to stop people, especially politicians and activists, who deliberately help illegal immigrants stay in the country.
A little over a week ago, failed L.A. Mayor Karen Bass attacked recent ICE raids in a press conference and proudly announced a plan to hand out cash cards with a “couple hundred dollars” to illegal immigrants, funded by “philanthropic” groups, of course. According to Bass, the city won’t directly hand out the money. Instead, radical “immigrant-rights groups” will handle it.
This is nothing short of a blatant violation of federal law. These groups aren’t helping the needy at random. They are specifically helping people who entered or remain in the U.S. illegally. That’s harboring. And it’s going to take tens of millions of dollars to pull off. So, who’s paying for it?
The Department of Justice must open an immediate investigation. We need to know who’s funding this pay-for-play scheme. Indictments must follow, for both the donors and the activists distributing the money. And if Mayor Bass or any other officials helped organize this operation, they need to face the consequences.
This is a test of whether the law means anything anymore. If a regular American did this, he’d get thrown in jail. Why should politicians or ostensibly liberal billionaire-funded activist groups get a free pass?
President Trump inherited a complete border disaster thanks to Joe Biden’s malicious open-border agenda and soft-on-illegal-immigration stance. Under Trump, border encounters have dropped dramatically. The border is now secure. Deportations are rising.
But efforts like these in California are sabotaging that progress. Unless the federal government starts throwing the book at people who harbor illegal immigrants, this insanity will continue.
It’s time to send a loud and clear message: If you help illegal immigrants break the law, you will pay a price. Judges shouldn’t just consider prison time. They should expect to impose it.
Mike Davis is the founder and president of the Article III Project.