I saw somewhere the comment that California Gov. Jerry Brown is declaring war on Donald Trump over the immigration issue.
I don't know how much weight to put on that possibility, but it's more than clear that the education establishment in the state is on board for all-out confrontation with the feds – and that includes private and Catholic schools as well as public institutions.
The core of the issue is that there are people in the state illegally (illegal aliens, for those who prefer the truth) who are attending school.
The education establishment takes the position that those students have a right to complete their education without the threat they might be deported because of their immigration status.
During his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump said he would build a wall along the Mexican border and he would deport illegal aliens who are in the country.
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Like it or not, Trump hit a nerve with Americans who are sick and tired of the financial and social burden illegals put on the country.
It was something millions wanted to hear politicians talk about, and it appeared that Donald Trump was the only one with the courage to speak publically about it.
Trump won the election and is about to become president and presumably put into motion his intent.
One of his campaign proposals is to stop DACA – the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an amnesty system set up by Barack Obama that is processing well over a million applications.
With that clearly in mind, liberal education officials (and not only those in California) are going crazy with their plans and announcements that they will not cooperate with federal officials on immigration issues, and scores have gone so far as to declare their facilities to be "sanctuary campuses."
Initially, the University of California, the State College System and the California Community Colleges asked Trump to let the students finish their studies without fear of deportation.
Then, in addition to demonstrations in Los Angeles (where police are barred from asking people about their immigrant status) against the deportation proposals, there were efforts on college campuses to have the schools ignore any federal actions to remove illegal immigrants.
The idea spread, and college presidents from across the country jumped on the bandwagon with letters and petitions to the feds to ease up on any such deportation plans.
The Catholic Church was in on the action, as L.A. Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, assured illegal immigrants the church would support them.
He's not the only Catholic cleric to take this stand.
The most specific challenge comes from Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California, who is the former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and former governor of Arizona.
While she admitted she doesn't know specifically what Trump will do as president, she said, "We felt it necessary to reaffirm that UC will act upon its deeply held conviction that all members of our community have the right to work, study and live safely and without fear at all UC locations."
She then issued specific principles, including:
- No confidential records will be released without a warrant, subpoena or court order unless authorized by the student or required by law.
- No campus police will cooperate with local, state or federal law agencies to investigate, detain or arrest violators of federal immigration law.
- No campus police can act on any suspicion of illegal immigration status.
- UC will not cooperate with any federal effort to create a registry of people based on protected characteristics.
Essentially what she's saying, despite protestations otherwise, is that federal law will be ignored. The University of California system will do what it wants, and the federal government be damned.
On top of all this, colleges and universities (public, private and religious) in a number of states are declaring themselves to have sanctuary status – essentially places safe from any legal actions.
As a parent who refused to allow her children to even apply to a U.C. school because of their liberal policies, and as a California resident whose taxes supports the U.C. system, I have a couple of questions.
Why should my taxes be used to pay the tuition of illegal aliens?
Why should my taxes be used to give scholarships to illegal aliens?
Why should my taxes be used to pay the salaries of school officials who advocate and support breaking the law?
As a parent who sent her children to a private university now adhering to the protection of illegals, why should my tuition and fees be used to subsidize the education of illegal aliens?
And one other issue.
What happens if one of those "protected illegal aliens" decides to instigate a violent attack on other students or faculty? Will campus police cooperate with other law enforcement officials, or will they be barred from campus?
Gee – no one has mentioned that.
Think about it. I have.
I hate to be simplistic, but if you enter this country illegally, you're an illegal alien – a perfectly correct legal description of your status.
Just being here does not confer on you a special blessing that you don't have to follow the laws and regulations that millions of people have abided by over the decades.
You need to go back to your home country and follow our immigration laws and rules to gain legal entry.
Anything other than that – you have no legal ground on which to stand and make demands on the United States and its citizens.
You may not like it. Your family may not like it. So be it.
But, it all boils down to a long-time basic truth:
LIFE ISN'T FAIR.
Get used to it!
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