Guy Farmer: ‘Free’ stuff for illegal immigrants

The Open Borders/Abolish ICE wing of the Democratic Party was on full display late last month during two debates among 20 of the party’s presidential candidates. Most of those candidates want to ignore our nation’s immigration laws and give lots of “free” stuff to illegal immigrants, including healthcare and public education.

In other words, most of the Democratic presidential contenders want to give illegals benefits that some American citizens don’t have. We know they aren’t “free” because they’re paid for by U.S. taxpayers — you and me, that is. So I’ll make a prediction: If the Democratic candidate for president runs on an Open Borders/Abolish ICE/Socialist platform, our unpopular president will win a second term.

Polls show President Trump has never had majority support from the American electorate, but given a choice between a far left Democrat/Socialist and Trump, most independent voters — those who will decide the 2020 election, including yours truly — will opt for the lesser of two evils.

Almost all of the Democratic presidential candidates endorsed something called Medicare For All, which would eliminate private medical insurance as we know it. So, if you like your private medical insurance, kiss it goodbye if a Democrat beats President Trump next year. The candidates were quick to assure us that they would include illegal immigrants in their Medicare For All proposal. We report, you decide.

Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Debra Saunders summarized the Democratic debates succinctly when she wrote that “it seems that all the 2020 Democratic hopefuls — and (Kamala) Harris in particular — are trying to turn the United States into one big sanctuary country where crossing the border illegally is analogous to jaywalking.” Saunders went on to say sanctuary cities and states policies “wouldn’t just protect otherwise law-abiding immigrants,” but would also shield gang members and criminals who harm women and children, as Harris well knows.” Amen!

As Saunders noted, the most famous beneficiary of San Francisco’s sanctuary city policy was illegal immigrant Jose Garcia Zarate, a repeat offender who murdered Kate Steinle on the San Francisco waterfront in 2015. Garcia Zarate was released from jail after his seventh — count ’em, seven — felony drug conviction.

Here in the Reno/Tahoe region, at least two accused murderers would be protected under sanctuary policies. One of them is a 20-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, Wilber Ernesto Martinez Guzman, who is charged with murdering four people, two in Reno and two in Douglas County; he’ll go on trial in Reno next April. Two of his alleged victims. Jerry and Sherri David, longtime supporters of the Reno Rodeo, were honored with a memorial plaque last month “in recognition of their tireless work for the benefit of the Reno Rodeo.”

The second unsavory character sanctuary cities advocates, including several members of the Nevada Legislature, would protect is 45-year-old illegal immigrant Jose Rodriguez Quesada, who was convicted of second degree murder last month for killing another man at a South Lake Tahoe hotel-casino in October 2017. According to Douglas County police, Rodriguez Quesada stabbed or slashed his victim at least 30 times, and attempted to hide evidence. He claimed self defense, but the jury didn’t buy it; he’ll be sentenced next month.

Well, these are the people open borders/sanctuary cities advocates want to protect. How about you?

Guy W. Farmer, a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer, follows immigration issues closely.