The libertarian Cato Institute has sponsored considerable research on relative crime rates by immigrants and citizens. Immigrants across the U.S. commit violent crimes at about half the rate of citizens. Legal immigrants commit such crimes at about 25% of the rate of citizens. (see cato.org). Daniel McCarthy has presented us with a horrific crime committed by an illegal immigrant, Abdul Jalloh. Mr. McCarthy shows us the failure of our justice system to lock Jalloh up as he deserved, thus exposing us all to further violence. (This puts me in mind of the slap-on-the-wrist sentence of Jeffrey Epstein when he was convicted of child rape.) Anyone who has studied research methods will tell you that anecdotal evidence proves nothing beyond the anecdote — generalization is unwarranted. I think Mr. McCarthy senses this, so he writes, “There are countless cases like Jalloh’s.” Notice the lack of attribution or detail. Countless, in this case, means he has no idea. Based on the Cato studies, for every Jalloh, there are two citizens committing heinous crimes, at least on average (see above).
Does anybody remember when Donald Trump ordered Congress to abandon the bi-partisan immigration law they were about to pass so that he could campaign on immigration? Mr. McCarthy’s diatribe that Democrats support illegal immigration ignores the Democratic effort to craft an effective immigration policy. An effort crushed by The Donald.
Criminal law exists to deal with violent criminals. If they are released, it is not because they are immigrants; it is because the courts released them in accordance with the law. The DOJ warned that “illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, burglary, and drug and human trafficking may be released.” Released? By whom? If they were convicted of felonies, they stay in jail. Their immigrant status is irrelevant.
Mr. McCarthy writes that “liberals’” hearts harden for the victims of immigrants and bleed for the victims of ICE. Beside the fact that this is not true, there is a huge difference between the victims. Crimes by immigrants are social, and need to be dealt with by law enforcement. Citizens being shot by law enforcement is a completely different thing, especially if the shootings are not in response to deadly threats. We all know about Goode and Pretti; not so many know about Ruben Roy Martinez, a citizen shot and killed by DHS, or Geraldo Lunas Campos, whose death was ruled a homicide committed by DHS agents in exactly the same way as in the case of George Floyd.
Mr. McCarthy derides the concern over the enforcement tactics used by DHS, especially ICE and Border Patrol, ignoring that these tactics violate at least four constitutional amendments. He fails to understand that the opposition is to the TACTICS. The Obama administration deported over two million people and hardly anyone noticed. These tactics are for show, not need.
Bill Gillmore
Columbus
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