Amnesty advocates attempt to paint a sympathetic portrait of illegal aliens living in the “shadow” of the law. However, far from the sidelines, those who have broken our nation’s laws are making aggressive demands for the rights granted under those laws. Increasingly, these demands are being voiced through disruptive measures which show a disdain for the rule of law and lack of respect for the citizens who uphold them.
One of the ways illegal aliens have been disruptive has been by demanding the time of elected legislators at their offices and other events meant for constituents. Recently, 44 illegal aliens arrived at House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) door, demanding to meet with the GOP leader without an appointment. The group was singing so loudly in the hallway that U.S. Capitol Police reportedly told them to keep it down and to stand along the side of the hallway. Protesters even arranged a sit-in in long-time amnesty proponent Congressman Luis Gutierrez’s (D-Ill.) office, demanding that about 30 illegal aliens be released from immigration detention centers after they staged a protest walking across the U.S.-Mexico border without immigration documentation. A similar sit-in was held at Rep. Henry Cuellar’s office (D-Texas) weeks earlier. Illegal aliens also disrupted a town hall meeting with constituents that Rep. Pete Olson (R-Ohio) held.
Illegal aliens have also been arranging long drawn-out protests which put a strain on law enforcement resources. In early October, unpaid Capitol Hill police officers were left to clean up the litter after a multiple hour demonstration on the National Mall. In Arizona a few weeks later, illegal aliens protested immigration enforcement by placing their bodies in front of a bus carrying 70 detainees to immigration court. Other protesters chained themselves to an entrance gate to the courthouse.
These protests by non-citizens strained taxpayer-funded resources and hampered the police’s ability to protect citizens in emergency situations. Tucson Police Public Information Officer, Sgt. Chris Widmer, said, “we’re able to make sure we are ready to protect the citizens but something has to give.” At the same time as the bus and courthouse protests, a local elementary school went in to lockdown. Although 10 officers were reassigned to deal with that emergency, there are limited law enforcement resources to allocate.
Illegal aliens already disobeyed the law. Now, they are showing no respect for the rule of law, our elected representatives, and our law enforcement. They want the rights of citizens, but at a heavy cost to everyone else.