In response to President Donald Trump announcing that his administration would be sending tactical law enforcement units to help aide ICE agents in sanctuary cities across the country, Democrats are calling the move “Gestapo-like” and one that will “only terrorize communities.” Some Democrats apparently believe that current ICE and Border Patrol agents are using BB guns and spitballs to enforce federal immigration laws.
The Trump administration specifically stated that local and border patrol tactical units were being deployed not the U.S. Military. But according to 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer, Trump has “militarized his deportation force” and as now reverted to using “armed forces against its own people.”
Again, existing agents already carry firearms, so they are already an “armed” force.
Donald Trump is militarizing his deportation force. A Commander-in-Chief should never turn armed forces against its own people. Retweet if you agree.https://t.co/etvR4f6jbM
— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) February 14, 2020
Republicans are praising the president’s efforts to curb the growing problem of human trafficking, gun smuggling, and drug running by illegal aliens crossing over the border to find refuge in sanctuary cities.
Two of Florida’s members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Reps. Brian Mast (R) (pictured) and Gus Bilirakis (R), have expressed their support for the administration's efforts to crack down on the lack of support for federal law enforcement by local municipal police.
“Yes, anytime you have an agent more specialized in the given task, you increase the chance for success, and decrease the chance for any collateral distress,” said Rep. Mast “Every crime that was committed by somebody here illegally is a preventable crime, a preventable death, a preventable rape, preventable theft, no sanctuary should be the expectation.”
But painting Mast, whose mother Timoxena Trujillo is of Mexican descent and whose grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, as an extremist who is against immigrants is a heavy lift for Democrats.
Rep. Bilirakis pointed to the ongoing and “legitimate humanitarian and national security crisis” along the U.S. southern border with Mexico.
“While the brave men and women who serve in Homeland Security have done a yeomen's job combatting human, drug and weapons' trafficking (as evidenced by the increased arrests in the past year) their limited resources are stretched far too thin,” said Rep. Bilirakis “ I believe we must listen to the law enforcement experts with firsthand knowledge of the situation and give them the tools they need to effectively tackle the problem.”
