The Houston City Council got a rude awakening when they decided to impede the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Center Square reported Wednesday that Houston Democratic Mayor John Whitmire called an emergency city council meeting to discuss repealing Proposition A, which limits how much contact Houston Police Department can have with ICE, effectively making the latter’s job more difficult in apprehending illegal aliens in the city.
Why the sudden change of heart?
The city had an account for funding from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s Office of Public Safety, but the account was closed, causing Houston to lose $110 million.
Abbott said Proposition A puts Houston in violation of funding conditions.
In other words, impede law enforcement, and you stand to lose a lot.
Houston should panic, as The Center Square noted that the money would be used for the Houston Fire Department, the office of Emergency Management, and the Houston Police Department.
In other words, keeping Proposition A means less money for emergency services, in combination with a city overrun by illegals.
Whitmire commented on the decision, saying that “my responsibility is the safety of Houstonians.”
“Now is the time to be responsible and not play politics,” he added. “Houston’s safety depends on it. We do not have local monies for this replacement of grant money.”
Indeed, safety is his responsibility; that means making sure illegal aliens — unvetted, possibly violent, and possibly gang-affiliated — are not roaming the streets.
In January, Newsweek reported that there are 220 “sanctuary cities” and 13 states, including deep-blue New York, Massachusetts, California, and Oregon.
Officials in those areas are effectively neo-Confederates. A refusal to comply with federal law sets a dangerous precedent for the union.
Luckily, Abbott found a way to entice Houston to reconsider their position. It’s a playbook other governors should consider using.
Depriving cities of funding is a — relatively — painless measure when considering alternatives like the use of force.
For the Trump administration, ICE’s work is difficult enough without even considering local law enforcement’s non-compliance.
Fighting angry, deranged crowds of leftist rioters and ideologues gives agents an additional task when trying to do their jobs, never mind the witch hunts that ensue to discover their identities and track down their loved ones.
By all means, let’s have blue cities go completely broke if they want to play this game.
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