Even Maxine Waters has a problem with illegal immigrants

Heather Mac Donald:

There may be hope for stemming the illegal alien epidemic when one of the most left-wing members of Congress declares her outrage at illegal gangbangers. Rep. Maxine Waters, who represents South Los Angeles, erupted in a tirade against Hispanic and black gang members last week, at a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.

I testified at the hearing, called to discuss the alien gang problem, along with Michael Garcia, assistant secretary of ICE, and Marsha Garst, Commonwealth's Attorney for Rockingham County, Virginia. I spoke about the scourge of municipal sanctuary laws, which prevent the police from using immigration violations to get illegal felons off the street. Michael Garcia blandly recounted ICE’s recent initiative against MS-13 gang members, Operation Community Shield; only in the question period did he admit to disagreement with sanctuary laws. Garst described the takeover of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley by MS-13 and the Surenos 13 (75% of whose members are illegal aliens). The gangs have set up a robust meth trade, accompanied by murder, assaults, shootings, and abductions. Recruitment begins in the second grade. Garst displayed a photo of local elementary school children on a field trip to the White House, many of whom are flashing gang signs.

Enter Maxine Waters. Waters has poisoned racial politics in Los Angeles for years; she essentially declared the Los Angeles riots a strike against racial injustice. Never saw a cop she doesn’t think is a racist. Yet here she was at the hearing declaring herself absolutely fed up with the race war between Hispanics and blacks that is raging on the streets of downtown L.A. “Why isn’t anyone talking about the Mexican Mafia (a gang of illegal Mexicans that controls the California prison system)?” she thundered. ‘I don’t care if you’re pink or purple or white or black or brown, I want you out if you’re committing crimes.’ There is no excuse not to control the border, she said. ‘I’m a liberal with a capital ‘L’,’ she said, ‘but I’m sick of it.’

Waters' timing was impeccable. A day after she spoke, 100 black and Hispanic students at Jefferson High School in South L.A. attacked each other in a race- and gang-driven brawl; three days later, the same thing happened, this time, students also hurled bottles at the police. Principal Norm Morrow told the Los Angeles Times:"We just have a lot of issues with race," said Morrow. "It's coming out of the community, into the school." Cops in riot gear now patrol the school.

Maybe it’s time to revive the bipartisan, interracial coalition that Barbara Jordan forged in the 1990s. Since then, the violence that accompanies illegal immigration has only become clearer. Memo to Tom Tancredo: Time to take a trip across the aisle.

Around the Blogosphere:

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