Governors and Mayors across the country are proudly declaring that they are offering sanctuary to illegal immigrants living within their governing district. Instead of being criticized for their unabashed defiance of federal immigration laws these executives are being celebrated by their citizens, encouraging them to take their defiance one step further.
Recently, California State Senator Kevin deLeon announced that he has appointed Lizbeth Mateo to serve on a committee that advises the California Student Aid Commission. Mateo is a Mexican-born attorney and immigrant rights activist who came to the U.S. with her parents at age 14. She is an undocumented immigrant.
According to Fox News, in accepting the appointment Mateo said, “While undocumented students have become more visible in our state, they remain underrepresented in places where decisions that affect them are being made.”
De León called Mateo “a courageous, determined and intelligent young woman who at great personal risk has dedicated herself to fight for those seeking their rightful place in this country. While Donald Trump fixates on walls, California will continue to concentrate on opportunities.”
The feds have filed a lawsuit against California for their defiance of federal immigration laws. That news is now trending on social media.
So why should anyone care if Ms. Mateo is allowed to serve as an appointee to a government agency? She is educated enough to have passed the bar and at 33 years of age, she has spent enough time in America to understand policies and customs. With problems like school shootings and trouble with North Korea looming large, surely the government appointment of an undocumented immigrant isn’t a big deal right? Wrong! Here’s why.
A law is only effective when the majority of society agrees to obey it. If large numbers of citizens decide to stop obeying laws, there aren’t enough government officials to enforce them. If laws aren’t enforced, they aren’t worth the paper they are written on.
Across America, governors and mayors are openly defying federal immigration laws and a vocal group of citizens are encouraging them to continue. So what would happen if citizens who didn’t agree with the defiance decided not to pay their taxes because they feel that their mayors and governors are acting illegally and they don’t want to support illegal activity? Would they be within their rights to do so?
Let’s take it even further – what if large groups of citizens who don’t agree with other federal laws decide to defy those laws? Who will prosecute them? If they are prosecuted, will the defiance of these governors and mayors be used as a precedent in their favor? Will any federal law have teeth ever again?
As a democracy we change our government by electing representatives who create and pass bills that reflect our wishes. When government officials defy laws they are pulling on the loose threads in the fabric of America which can ultimately lead to the unraveling of our society.
If we want to remain a strong nation, we cannot pick and choose which laws we want to follow. We can, however, pick and choose representatives who will fight to change our laws instead of acting as if they are above them.