Don’t Push ICE Out of Massachusetts [OPINION]

Massachusetts is rapidly becoming a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants, including dangerous criminals. The Biden Administration recently ended the successful relationship between Bristol County Sheriff Tom's Hodgson and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. That suits the radical leftist politicians in Massachusetts just fine. It's a big part of their agenda, which includes dismantling ICE.

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and most members of the U.S. House delegation, including Rep. Bill Keating and Rep. Jake Auchincloss, applauded Biden's decision. All four signed a joint statement praising the administration's action, stating that "every person has the right to dignity, safety, and due process. This decision affirms that right, and is a victory for the detainees, families, lawyers, and advocates who have pushed for more accountability and more humane treatment by the BCSO."

Attorney General Maura Healey, another crunchy lefty, has actually been to Tijuana to offer encouragement, and I suspect instructions, to wanna-be illegals on finding their way to Massachusetts. Her biased report on a riot at the Bristol County House of Corrections last year involving two dozen criminal illegals was at the heart of the Biden decision.

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New Bedford Rep. Antonio Cabral supports driver's licenses for illegals, among other things, and has fought Hodgson's cooperation with ICE repeatedly. Cabral is also a sponsor of the so-called Safe Communities Act that provides further protections for illegal aliens in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts is a magnet for illegals who are pouring over the southern border in record numbers. They have advocates here, including Warren, Markey, Keating, Auchincloss, Healey, and Cabral. Those advocates are slowly whittling away the rule of law to protect illegal aliens, many of whom are violent criminals. That comes at the expense of law-abiding taxpayers who foot the bill.

Illegal aliens strain local resources such as public safety and education and add a burden to already troubled housing and job markets. Massachusetts should strengthen, not weaken, its relationship with federal immigration officials for the safety and security of its citizens.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.