Mayor Daley pontificates

On Halloween a 39-year-old Mexican woman died in the middle of gang crossfire in Chicago’s Back-of-the-Yards neighborhood. Mayor Ritchie Daley showed up the other night for a neighborhood vigil and here’s what he told the crowd: "You know who did it," he said. "Don't be blaming the police. Look in the mirror and say, 'I can do better.'" He also said: "If you don't turn these individuals in, you'll be marching for the rest of your life.”

I think that is a solid message, but it sounds a bit foolish coming from a man who has perpetuated the status of Sanctuary City from his first year in office.

I wonder if he ever thinks about the foolishness of it all? I wonder if he thought of that when they arrested over 30 illegal aliens at O’Hare Airport the other day? (Yes, the count has gone up; they announced ten more arrests today.) His “Don’t ask. Don’t tell,” policy has resulted in a security breech wide enough to drive a dirty bomb through. Yes, the Chicago Department of Aviation reports to the mayor.

Now, astute readers will say I’m jumping to conclusions about the immigration status of the at-large shooter. Perhaps. But there was a little tidbit of information in the article about the wake for this woman. It reads: “But (Manuel) Flores himself won't be able to say his final goodbyes at his wife's funeral and burial in Guerrero, Mexico. If he returns to his homeland, he might not be able to come back to Chicago because he overstayed a visa allowing him to be in the United States.”

The official designation for the husband is illegal alien, out-of-status, subject to deportation. (But the newspapers don’t know how to write that. They prefer softer language.)

Here’s chapter and verse:
United States Code
Title 8, Chapter 12, Subchapter II, Part IV, Section 1227 (a)(1)(C):
(i) Nonimmigrant status violators
Any alien who was admitted as a nonimmigrant and who has failed to maintain the nonimmigrant status in which the alien was admitted or to which it was changed under section 1258 of this title, or to comply with the conditions of any such status, is deportable. (end of quote)

He could, of course, take his family back to Mexico and stay there. Why don’t they ever think of that? And they’d be flying the flag and honking their horns on the right holidays to boot!

I wonder if Daley is puzzled by the silence from the witnesses? After all, the sanctuary policy is supposed to improve cooperation with the police.

The truth is, that neighborhood is loaded with illegal aliens. No one knows how many. No one seems to care. But you can’t have it both ways, Mr. Daley. You can’t wink at lawbreakers on one side of the street and expect order on the other. The chickens have come home to roost.

P.S. – If you really want the Olympics here, it would be a good idea to be in tight with Homeland Security. Maybe you ought to rethink this whole sanctuary business. And they’ll want a nice, secure airport as well.