Friday, July 6, 2018

Democrats’ 2018 Slogan Is A Godsend For Republicans


Democrats’ 2018 Slogan Is A Godsend For Republicans
Ignorance, lawlessness, and open borders
By Michael J. Knowles
July 5, 2018
Democrats love frivolous slogans. The party that brought us “Bush Lied, People Died” (he didn't) to “No War For Oil” (there wasn't) has now delivered Republicans an election year boon with just two simple words: “Abolish ICE.” Democrats ranging from Statue of Liberty scaling activists to congressional candidates to bona fide U.S. senators have adopted the motto, which demands the dissolution of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The embrace of “Abolish ICE” as a campaign trail motto exposes Democrats as the party of ignorance, lawlessness, and open borders. All three are big losers with the American people, and Republicans should troll Democrats into shouting, “Abolish ICE!” at every turn.

ICE, which stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is an agency within the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats have recently targeted the agency for separating illegal alien families at the U.S. border with Mexico. While the family separation policy has existed since 1997 and was robustly enforced at various points during the Obama administration with nary a peep from Democrats, the great irony is that it isn't ICE separating families at the border. Rather, it’s up to Customs and Border Protection, which operates Border Patrol, to arrest foreign nationals crossing the southern border illegally. Democrats calls to “abolish ICE” for separating families at the border illustrate their ignorance of the very laws they wish to ignore.

But while Democrats are frequently wrong, they’re never in doubt. They may not know what ICE does, but their demand to abolish it highlights their increasing lawlessness. In recent weeks, a major Democrat lawmaker has openly called for mob terror against Republican officials. Left-wing commentators and activists within such movements as Black Lives Matter have suggested abolishing the police—whatever that means. The New York Democratic Socialists of America, of which Democrat congressional nominee Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a member, recently declared, “Abolish ICE. Abolish prisons. Abolish cash bail. Abolish borders.” By taking aim at law enforcement per se, Democrats offer a vision of America governed not by duly enacted law passed by representative institutions but rather a country governed by the caprices and prejudices of men, popular sovereignty be damned.

Finally, beyond the idiocy and the lawlessness, “abolish ICE” means open borders — a radical policy opposed by virtually every voting demographic. According to a YouGov poll from late June, Americans strongly favor tougher immigration enforcement, with just 19% of respondents approving of the Obama administration’s policy of “catch and release” for families crossing the border illegally. Even among Democrats, a full 70% opposed catch-and-release, and nearly half of all Democrats expressed support for detaining entire families throughout deportation hearings.

Ignorance, lawlessness, open borders. Republicans couldn’t have crafted a better Democrat campaign platform if we tried. Perhaps it's time to add a few chapters to my book.

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