In 1995, Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Jordan argued for immigration policy that worked for Americans; Biden should too.
As a candidate, President Biden promised to freeze Immigration and Customs Enforcement removals for his first 100 days in office. Shortly after Biden’s inauguration, Texas ICE officers received an email anonymously shared with Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The Department of Homeland Security memo ordered Texas agents, and assumedly other agents throughout the nation, to: “… stop all removals. This includes Mexican bus runs, charter flights and commercial removals (until further notice) … all cases are to be considered [no significant likelihood of removal in foreseeable future]. Release them all, immediately. No sponsor available is not acceptable any longer.” Biden’s sweeping order – note the language that states “no significant likelihood of removal in the foreseeable future” – means that “all” of the worst criminals previously scheduled for removal will be released. The fallout will be staggering. In 2020, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations deported many known gang members, including many from the notorious and deadly Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13. Among those removed are murderers, sex traffickers who preyed on vulnerable minors, child molesters, arms and drug dealers, and pornographers. Based on the DHS wording in its advisory to ICE agents, similar criminals will be released and will likely remain in the U.S. Outraged Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Biden administration. In his tweet, Paxton explained that Biden’s order is not only unconstitutional, illegal, dangerous for the nation and for Texas, but also violates an agreement Texas signed with President Trump’s administration earlier in January. When Paxton got no response from the White House, he filed a complaint, and asked the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas for a temporary injunction while the court hears his case. Paxton wrote, indisputably, Biden’s order violates congressionally enacted immigration laws and, if carried out, will, as Paxton predicted, “seriously and irreparably harm the State of Texas and its citizens.” The court immediately granted Paxton’s request. Paxton’s fellow Texan Maria Hinojosa, who cofounded the Remembrance Project, can confirm the attorney general’s prophesy that giving criminal aliens a “get-out-of-jail-free card” will put communities at high risk. Hinojosa’s site tells the stories of dozens of Americans whose lives criminal aliens cut short. A sampling: Armond Browning, 18, Chicago, in 1994, shot multiple times and killed while in his car; Shatavia Anderson, 14, Houston, in 2010 robbed, shot in the back and killed. Anderson’s killer was twice deported; Jeffrey Monroe, 54, Avon, Ind., in 2018, struck and killed by an illegal alien driver on Super Bowl Sunday, and Corporal Ronil Singh, 33, Newman, Calif., murdered by an alien during a routine traffic stop. Singh’s killer had multiple prior convictions. To be clear, only a small percentage of illegal immigrants are criminals. The majority migrate to the U.S. for personal reasons – more opportunities for their families, better educations for their children and an improved quality of life. However, illegal alien crimes perpetrated on innocent Americans would likely have been avoided if the federal government enforced immigration laws. Victims like Kate Steinle, Casey Chadwick, Officer Kevin Will or 1-year-old Rehma Sabir should still be living. Immigration guidelines that serve the nation best are easy to carry out, and were summarized in 1995 by former Democratic Texas Congresswoman and civil rights champion, Barbara Jordan, who chaired the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform. Jordan’s commission sought to establish “a credible, coherent immigrant and immigration policy.” After a comprehensive analysis of U.S. immigration laws, their strengths and weaknesses, Jordan concluded that those who qualify for admission should be admitted, those who don’t qualify must not be allowed in, and those “who should not be here will be required to leave.” Jordan died in 1996, her passion to oversee an immigration policy that worked for all left unfulfilled. But unquestionably Jordan would be profoundly disappointed in her fellow Democrats’ willingness to violate federal immigration laws, release criminal aliens and endanger the public. Biden should heed the counsel Jordan would have given him; he’d be doing himself and America a favor.
