We’ve all heard of sanctuary jurisdictions in which local law enforcement will not honor detainers issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), choosing to release criminal illegal immigrants instead. Now, we have sanctuary schools as Portland public schools superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero has vowed to not cooperate with law enforcement.
He has set as policy in which law enforcement must contact him directly if they intend to enter school grounds. Then, he will refuse or others hamper their ability to take into custody students. It’s part publicity stunt, as there are so few cases of such events happening that nobody else is even talking about it, but it’s also a practical matter that could put students in danger, including those who may be set for apprehension.
There are only two reasons ICE would attempt to apprehend students. The first is to keep families together. If parents of a student are apprehended and set for deportation, it is necessary to locate and apprehend their children as well. Otherwise, there is the risk that the students will end up somewhere else, potentially on the run and desperate to avoid being sent back to their nation of origin. Failure to let these students be taken into custody puts them in danger.
The second is worrisome. If ICE determines that an illegal immigrant student was allegedly involved in crimes, he or she could be sought after by law enforcement. But Guerrero is putting the safety of his students in jeopardy by refusing to allow law enforcement to locate and apprehend alleged criminals.
Thankfully, this is not a common event, which is why the interview he did for KGW was more about politics than addressing an actual issue. His responses were those of a politician running for office, not a concerned leader of a school district.
“I’m so appreciative that you’ve been able to capture the story of one school because I think it has, emerged for folks as a visual description, hearing those stories. I would challenge anybody not to be moved by the episode with Karen or any of the others because it’s part of our day-to-day here as a school system. That’s one school. We have 80 others and everyday stories like that are taking place.”
The modern left puts so much emphasis on protecting criminal illegal immigrants. The breathlessly decry the evils of federal law enforcement who are tasked with keeping us safe, but they refuse to see the problems that illegal immigration creates.
