Immigration Advocates Should Blame Democrats, Not Republicans, for LA Chaos

The riots that have swept Los Angeles in recent days have reignited debate over President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda, with immigration advocates arguing that the administration’s efforts are “cruel” and “inhumane.” But blame for any heartbreak as a result of deportations rests at the feet of Democrats who openly encouraged mass illegal migration and invited the entire world to flood into the United States.

One of the great ironies of the immigration debate is that it is Democrats, not Republicans, who have put illegal immigrants in the terrible situation many now find themselves in. Democrats are quick to blame “racist” Republicans for enforcing the law, but the truth is that Democrats have taken part in a giant game of bait and switch – an immigration Ponzi scheme of global proportions.

According to the most conservative estimates, around eight million people illegally crossed into the United States during Joe Biden’s presidency – and that’s not including the millions more who abused the parole and asylum systems. During his 2020 campaign, Biden openly invited this invasion, telling migrants to “surge” to the border – and they listened.

By leaving the border wide open, Democrats sent a clear message that it was perfectly fine to march into America, settle in, and expect nothing bad to happen.

Once here, illegals were welcomed with open arms into sanctuary states and cities. Illegal and morally reprehensible sanctuary policies are what cause riots, insurrection, and unrest like we have witnessed in Los Angeles. Weak liberal governors like Gavin Newsom refuse to cooperate with ICE and other federal agencies in enforcing federal law, forcing President Trump to step in to preserve law and order. Despite what Democrats have claimed, nearly 60 percent of Americans approve of Trump sending the National Guard to California to clean up Newsom’s mess.

Democrats have also directly exacerbated the illegal immigration crisis by issuing driver’s licenses to illegals who accepted the left’s open invitation to violate U.S. sovereignty. As of 2023, 19 states – including some purple and red states – issue driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.

Illegal aliens in six states are also eligible for welfare like state-funded food assistance programs. As of March 2023, 12 states and the District of Columbia provide state-funded healthcare to illegal children and six states provide the same for illegal alien adults. (However, some states, like Minnesota just this week and California earlier this year, are now being forced to face the financial impossibility of paying for healthcare for millions of illegal aliens.)

The deal gets even sweeter for illegal aliens when you consider that they also get an education funded by you, the American taxpayer. There are 23 states and the District of Columbia that provide in-state tuition to illegal students. Of those states, 18 and D.C. also provide access to state financial aid. Only nine states block access to in-state tuition and financial aid for illegal aliens.

In short, Democrats have presented an offer too good to pass up: come to the United States by any means necessary and we will protect you from deportation, give you free healthcare, and give your kids special access to financial aid. Who can blame anyone for making that dangerous journey with the promise of a peaceful life in America and so much free stuff on the line?

Of course, what Democrats don’t like to talk about is the collateral damage of their open borders agenda. Along with the surge of migrants comes a flood of fentanyl and other deadly drugs. While many migrants are indeed just “looking for a better life,” a significant number are also violent criminals fleeing justice in their home country or foreign terrorists looking to injure and kill Americans. Women and children being trafficked across the border are subject to unspeakable crimes. And of course there are the very real economic and cultural implications of importing mass numbers of migrants who undercut American wages and take American jobs while refusing to assimilate into American communities.

Democrats aren’t selling illegal aliens this false hope out of the goodness of their hearts, either – there is a massive political incentive to flood blue states with migrants. States like New York, Illinois, and California are set to lose electoral votes due to mass deportations, conservatives fleeing to red states, and the probability of not counting illegal immigrants in the next round of the U.S. Census. This would be electorally disastrous for the Democrat Party, and they know it.

Despite what Democrats may claim about sanctuary cities, Congress has full authority over immigration policy in the United States. The federal government assumed direct control of inspecting, admitting, and processing immigrants with the Immigration Act of 1891. Democrats know full well that we have a legal process through which immigrants can be admitted into the country. They just choose to ignore it.

Illegal aliens should be furious that Democrats baited them into coming to the United States knowing that deportation – and possibly a ban on ever coming here legally in the future – was the likely outcome. Democrats opened our border, created sanctuary states and cities, provided driver licenses, food and healthcare benefits, and even offered taxpayer subsidized education for illegals, all while knowing the day of reckoning would come.

So, while liberals point fingers at Republicans, immigration advocates and illegal aliens themselves should put all the blame on disingenuous and disastrous Democrat policies.

Jordan Hess, a native of Utah, holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s from George Washington University in political management. He gained Capitol Hill experience working in the US Senate for four years and at The Heritage Foundation for three. He currently resides in Utah doing government affairs work and is actively involved in political campaigns.