Preposterous Immigration Ideas From California Democrats

March 10, 2018 | By BoomerJeff In Border Security and Immigration,The Endangered Constitution |

On February 24 Oakland, CA Mayor Libby Schaaf made headlines with public disclosure of confidential law enforcement operations.  She warned criminal illegal aliens that ICE was about to begin arrests and deportations in the Oakland area.  We at Liberty Works urged US Attorney General Jeff Sessions to take action against the Mayor.

On March 8 Mr. Sessions filed a lawsuit, asking the federal court to block enforcement of three California laws whose purpose is to hinder enforcement of US immigration law.  California Governor Brown, State Attorney General Becerra reacted with strident denunciation of Sessions and President Trump.

Mayor Schaaf defended her actions and California’s laws hindering enforcement of US immigration law with this jumble of words:

Throughout this journey with this new administration we are navigating the complicated power relationship between local, state and federal governments. That’s part of the beauty of our Constitution. That’s part of the beauty of our democratic form of government. Mine is one of the many voices in that debate and I feel confident that the court system, which now has this case, is going to help us see some clarity.

This statement is preposterous.  Either the mayor is an ignoramus with no understanding of the Constitution, or she believes we Americans are ignoramuses who will believe lies.  Immigration law is NOT a “complicated power relationship.”  The established law is not up for debate until Congress decides it is.  And if that happens Ms. Schaaf’s voice will be irrelevant because she does not have a vote in the House or Senate.  Yes, the court will now have to act, but not because the Constitution and the law aren’t clear.  Sessions had to take the matter to court because of reckless disregard for the Constitution in California state government. 

The relevant federal immigration law is as simple and unambiguous as a stop sign. Article I, Section 8, clause 4 of the US Constitution grants to Congress, the power to establish immigration and naturalization law.

Article VI Clause 2 of the Constitution says:

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance there of…shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any state to the Contrary notwithstanding.
 
This is called the supremacy clause.  The laws made “in pursuance of” exercising those powers granted to the federal government by the Constitution are supreme. No state may enact any law that would contradict or diminish federal law.
 
Because of the supremacy clause state and local governments have no authority whatsoever to modify or nullify or prevent enforcement of federal immigration law.
 
The next section of Article VI of the Constitution, right after the supremacy clause says:
 
…the members of State Legislatures and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several states shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support the Constitution.

 

In compliance with this clause California law requires every State, County and city elected official to swear an oath of office that begins:

“I, ___________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States…

So Governor Brown, State Attorney General Becerra and Oakland Mayor Schaaf have all sworn, on their first days in office, as part of their oaths of office, to support and defend the US C0nstitution, from which Congress and the President derive their authority to enact and enforce immigration law.  Yet all three of them try to convince the rest of us that, deportation of illegal aliens is a gratuitous attack on California, and President Trump is inflicting unnecessary hardship against innocent people, simply as an act of personal animus.

Under federal statutes duly enacted by Congress, which again has sole authority over immigration, it is illegal for a non-US citizen to cross the border and take up residence and/or become employed in the United States without specific, individual authorization from the Bureau of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS.)  Further, the Constitution requires the President, through The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enforce this law by deporting people who have entered the country without permission.
Governor Brown, State Attorney General Beccera and mayor Schaaf have shamelessly violated their oaths of office. Their conduct is beneath the dignity of their positions.
 

Our next article will dig into the Sessions lawsuit and the California laws it asks the court to invalidate

 

 

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