The anti-immigrant hate group Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which has extensive ties to the Trump administration, kicked off its annual “Hold Their Feet to the Fire” radio row today, where it puts members of Congress and anti-immigration activists together with conservative radio hosts to broadcast their message to listeners across the country.
One guest on hand was Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies, who told “Boston Herald Radio” that the appeals of sanctuary cities would “fall on deaf ears” in the Trump administration.
Vaughan said that sanctuary cities are “playing a game of chicken right now” with the administration and congressional appropriators, but that she expects that they will see their federal law enforcement funding cut off because “we’re going to have to see a scalp from somebody.”
“This is a policy choice,” she said. “They’re going to scream bloody murder about losing critical law enforcement funding, but all they have to do is change their policy. You know, don’t protect criminal aliens, when you get that arrest warrant and detainer from ICE that says we want to deport this individual who’s in your custody, help them, don’t release the person, honor the detainer like they would for any other federal or state law enforcement agency.”
“They’re going to cry poverty, foul, ‘Oh, no, immigrants won’t report crimes anymore,’ we’re going to hear all that,” she added, “but it’s going to fall on deaf ears at the Justice Department, I can tell you that, and the White House too. But this is a choice they’re making, and it’s an irresponsible one and the federal government has to step in and do something about it to protect everyone who lives in these communities because there is a human cost to these policies. Kate Steinle paid it and her family paid it, and she’s not the only one.”
