Sanctuaries for criminals

With election news inundating media, most Americans have lost sight of the issue that affects every one of us -- and not in a good way.

When was the last time you heard or saw a report in the media about illegal aliens?

Yes, I said it, illegal aliens. And I said it because when we are talking about people from other countries who are in this country illegally, they are "illegal aliens." That is their legal designation.

So when WAS the last time you read or heard media coverage of that problem that this country faces every single day? I check the news daily and it seems that the problem of illegals in this country has just disappeared.

But even though politically correct media outlets ignore it, the problem hasn't disappeared and often it gets worse. All you need to do to get the truth is to check the statistics from the Border Patrol and ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Dealing with people illegally crossing our borders and breaking laws in this country is the focus of their job on a daily basis.

TRENDING: Biden campaign staff caught financially supporting Minnesota riots

Unfortunately, there are many cities and states in this country that have taken the position that illegals are "untouchables" and that law enforcement must leave them alone, regardless of the kind and extent of their crimes.

What's even more bizarre about the situation we face is that there are cities that actually take the side of illegals against their own police departments.

These jurisdictions call themselves "sanctuary cities," and what that means is that illegal aliens are always given the benefit of the doubt. As a result, local and federal law enforcement agencies get no co-operation from them.

Recently, I wrote of the travesty in San Francisco concerning the shooting death of Kate Steinle by an illegal alien who was released by local police despite the fact that ICE had asked that he be detained.

San Francisco, of course, is a sanctuary city, so it does not cooperate with the feds.

But have you read of the travesty in New York City in which an illegal from Guatemala was released by the New York Police Department after being charged with felony rape in the second degree and sexual abuse of a person under 14? Yes, it happened. Because of the sanctuary policy of the city, the NYPD refused to honor an ICE detainer request against the suspect.

The illegal in question, a 20-year-old Guatemalan, Miguel Federico
Ajqui-Ajitzalam, had been arrested in February on charges of second-degree felony rape, sexual abuse for contact with a person under 14 and acting in a manner to injure a child under 17.

He had a history, having been detained by the Border Patrol in 2016 for illegal entry. But he was released because he was underage.
At this point, he is in ICE custody pending a hearing before an immigration judge.

ICE spokesman Thomas Decker said in a statement that it's "inconceivable that an individual who was arrested for local charges of rape and sexual abuse of a child would be released back into the community instead of being transferred to ICE, who had a detainer in place."

Acting ICE Director Matthew Albence wrote to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to work out a situation to keep citizens safe, but the letter was ignored.

Another New York travesty took place in January when a 92-year-old legal immigrant from the Dominican Republic was sexually assaulted and murdered by an illegal alien who was previously released by NYC officials who ignored an ICE detainer request.

New York isn't alone. Chicago is also a sanctuary city and that policy is responsible for the rape of a 3-year-old girl. The suspect, 34-year-old Christopher Puente, was released from a Chicago jail despite from an ICE detainer. He ended up taking a 3-year-old girl into a McDonald's bathroom and raping her as she cried for her father.

The father heard her cries and after not being able to enter the locked stall, reached under the walls and pulling her out by her legs. The child was hospitalized.

Puente admitted later that what he did was "bad," but that didn't change anything. His rap sheet includes charges for burglary, forgery, trespassing, domestic battery and other offenses dating back 20 years. He had been arrested last year for theft and faced an ICE detainer, which Chicago ignored.

He was deported in 2014 for felony burglary and forgery but got back in the country in five days. He was later charged with other crimes but missed court dates and continued his criminal activities.

When he was finally faced with the sexual assault in Cook County, the sanctuary city status of Chicago protected him. And that wasn't the only thing that protected him The mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, defended freeing the illegal accused of child sexual assault.

Lightfoot said, "IF ICE is complaining, then they should do their job better."

She continued: "We are a welcoming city, a sanctuary city. Chicago Police Department will not cooperate with ICE on any immigration-related business. And that's affected their ability to conduct immigration raids cross the city. But that's exactly our intention."

How about that?!?!?!? At least she is not ignoring the intent of the idea of sanctuary. Protect the illegals and what they do in violation of our laws.

Follow Barbara Simpson on Facebook.