Pirate's Cove

An interesting point brought up by multiple L.A. Times readers

To the editor: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and County Supervisor Hilda Solis in December announced the creation of a $10-million legal aid fund to “hire lawyers to defend local immigrants without legal status.” (“A $10-million fund will help immigrants fight deportations. But should it help those with violent criminal convictions?” April 17)

My street hasn’t been swept for years. When I tried to find out why, I was told that my area is not “on the list” because there are no longer enough machines and people to drive them. Services that I continue to pay for have been stopped.

If there is enough money around to help illegal immigrants, surely there is enough to begin sweeping my dirty street again. Shouldn’t citizens come before illegal residents?

Oh, stop, Arline George. Of course those who are unlawfully present in the U.S. come before actual lawfully present citizens in Liberal World.

To the editor: So-called sanctuary cities and the state of California say they do not want to spend their precious resources on enforcing federal immigration laws because it is not the function of local government to do so.

Now for the irony: Both the city and the county of Los Angeles will spend millions of taxpayer dollars to defend people in federal immigration courts where the only action is a right to residency or potential deportation. In these cases, state laws are not at issue.

Either immigration is solely a federal function or it is not. It can’t be both depending on politics.

Robert Braley, the illegal immigration debate is no place for Adult Logic.

Or for following the law

(Hot Air) This is something of a new twist on a story which has long since become old and tired. In the Sanctuary State of California you can find many Sanctuary Cities, all of whom are busily thinking up ways to “fight Trump” by refusing to enforce the nation’s laws. But now the city of Oakland has really upped their game to the next level. Why leave all of this lawlessness in the hands of the elected officials when you can privatize the system of lawbreaking? That’s right… they’ve moved to formally endorse private workplaces who choose to violate the law.

That’s right, Oakland city officials, who take oaths to uphold the law, are telling private companies they can break federal law. Of course, that won’t help those companies when federal authorities come to call. And, as Jazz Shaw goes on to point out

You see, no matter what the “status” of the employees may be, the city officials are encouraging the employers to violate federal law. Specifically, we’re talking about another section of 8 U.S. Code § 1324a – Unlawful employment of aliens.

And oh, just by the way, the act of formalizing this encouragement also appears to be in violation of a related statute, that being 8 U.S. Code § 1324 (a)(1)(A)(iv) which specifies criminal penalties for anyone who, “encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law.”

That’s right, Oakland officials could be prosecuted for violations of federal code. Which require fines and jail stays.

Meanwhile, in Chicago

Chicago’s city council voted on Wednesday to authorize a $3 million program proposed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel that would grant special city ID’s for illegal immigrants and other groups.

One would think that Chicago had more pressing concerns, such as violent crime and a huge uptick in murders and shootings, where that money could be spent.