Counterpoint to Democrats’ Immigration Enforcement ‘Reform’ Demands

 by Dan Cadman

According to The Hill and other media outlets, Democrats led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are levying immigration enforcement reform demands as a condition of continued funding of the government, including the Homeland Security spending bill, to wit:

• First, end roving patrols by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and tighten rules governing the use of warrants by officers targeting migrants.
• Second, enforce accountability by establishing a universal code of conduct governing federal law enforcement officers’ use of force.
• Third, prohibit federal officers from wearing masks and require them to wear body cameras and proper identification.

There must be doubt in the minds of many people as to how serious the Democrats are. On the other hand, they may believe that they have leverage through the votes of some so-called “centrist” Republicans to stall a funding bill unless they get their way. Sens. Collins (R-Maine) and Murkowski (R-Alaska) come immediately to mind, as do a few others.

But legislators should be leery of what they are signing onto. For example, I'm not entirely sure what “tighten rules governing use of warrants” means, but it potentially covers a whole lot of objectionable ground, much of which would likely contradict many practices and policies that have long been settled by law and court precedent. The devil is always in the details, and without hearing exactly what Democrats intend, keeping one's eyes open and hands holding firmly onto pocketbooks and wallets, would be prudent.

It seems to me that one way to smoke out their sincerity is by offering a number of countermeasures that could be paired with Democrats' demands. For instance:

• Make it a federal felony to doxx the identities and personal information (including home addresses and family relations) of federal officers.
• Amend 18 U.S.C. Section 111 (assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees), to specifically state that use of electronic devices, including software applications, telephones, and the like, for the purpose of tracking federal officers in the performance of their duties constitutes a violation of the “impeding” portion of the statute.
• Amend the federal sentencing guidelines to provide substantial upward enhancements for offenders convicted of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers while wearing masks, balaclavas, or other headgear or facial coverings designed to prevent or inhibit identification or detection of the perpetrator. (After all, sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander, no?)

If Democrats are unwilling to entertain these common-sense proposals, then the American people will likely see their demands as just a gimmick to throw more sand into the gears of government by causing another unnecessary shutdown.

https://cis.org/Cadman/Offering-Counterpoint-Democrats-Immigration-Enforcement-Reform-Demands