Libby Schaaf

We all know that, as this writer published here previously, Open Immigration Services the Democrats because newly arrived residents tend to vote on the liberal side of the political fence, driving up voter turn-outs come election time.

But what happens when an elected official in a sanctuary city breaks federal law in order to shield a future voter? New legislation proposed by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) would send the paid public servant directly to jail – without passing ‘Go’ and collecting $200.

The person responsible for King’s bill is part of its name: the Mayor Libby Schaaf Act of 2018.  Schaaf is in charge of the populous sanctuary city of Oakland, California.

Mayor Schaaf loves her future party constituents so much that, in February 2018, she tipped off illegal immigrants of an impending US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) round-up before it happened so they could escape – which they did. All 800 of them. (150 illegals were apprehended, evidently because they weren’t paying attention.)

Let’s be clear on our terms here: a sanctuary city, as defined by America’s Voice is “a city (or a county, or a state) that limits its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agents in order to protect low-priority immigrants from deportation, while still turning over those who have committed serious crimes.”

The problem with a definition like the one above is that it is full of subjective judgments, like “cooperation” and “serious crimes.” Who is to say where the legal line between federal, state, and local laws lies?

Ultimately, that call resides with the US Department of Justice (DOJ). In her own defense, Schaaf tweeted:

“In Oakland, we are not obstructing justice. We are seeking it.”

History will be the judge of that, rest assured.

But in March 2018, The Washinton Times reported that ICE Deputy Director Thomas Homan had announced that three of those 800 illegals who eluded border enforcement agents in February, thanks to Schaaf’s tip-off, had been arrested for robbing, driving drunk, and wife beating (spousal abuse) – within 30 days of their prior escape from deportation!

Evidently, American prison is better than life on the streets of a collapsing third-world country like, oh, say, Venezuela.

Or perhaps these scofflaws just don’t give a darn about joining a productive workforce that makes every effort to avoid arrest? We must include mayors like Schaaf in this group – and we are not alone in this opinion.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at the White House:

“I think it’s outrageous that a mayor would circumvent federal authorities, and certainly put them in danger by making a move such as that.”

Sanders’ boss President Donald Trump also agreed. He has asked his administration to look into a punishment fitting Schaaf’s crime – which was basically that of a “gang lookout.” Another word that springs to mind is “snitch.”

Trump is also advocating that sanctuary cities lose their federal grant money. Bravo.

In the meantime, Schaaf is bravely soldiering on, planning to run for re-election. In 2015, she was elected Oakland’s 50th mayor. However, her administration has been tainted by a police department employee underage sex scandal which led to three different police chiefs being hired before quitting, all within nine days in June 2016.

Schaaf’s solution to her inability to work effectively with her own police leaders – as covered by the Los Angeles Times? “The Oakland Police Department will now operate under civilian control.”

There you have it. When the pros don’t work out, send in the amateurs. That’s liberal thinking for you.

The conservative point of view is to punish the likes of Mayor Schaaf with up to five years in jail. When he announced his bill, King noted:

“I want lawless, Sanctuary City politicians to hear this message clearly: if you obstruct ICE, you are going to end up in the cooler.”

And King is not talking about the office water cooler. No, that would be the ICE cooler: federal prison.