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Hernando Today

Earl Should Do More Research Before Criticizing

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 28, 2008

Frances Earl has been given the privilege and honor by Hernando Today to appear on the editorial page, and I would expect Ms. Earl to be more informative when writing her columns.

On May 15, Ms. Earl stated that U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, is pushing to withhold federal dollars from "sanctuary states," although she did not name any of these states and gave no explanation. I am aware of more than 35 U.S. cities that are operating as "sanctuary cities," which means that these cities adopt a policy that forbids local law enforcement to check the immigration status of any person and thereby creates a safe haven for illegal immigrants.

Many of these illegal immigrants are criminal aliens who have often committed violent crimes in our country. One such criminal illegal immigrant in Los Angels murdered the teenage son of an officer serving in Iraq. This murderer had already been in jail for another crime and never reported to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).You guessed it - Los Angeles is a "sanctuary city."

Rep. Brown-Waite realized the danger of operating sanctuary cities and introduced H.R. 3531, the Accountability in Enforcing Immigration Laws Act of 2007. This bill would give authority to state and local law enforcement officials to investigate and arrest illegal immigrants apprehended while performing their duties as law enforcement officers. The bill also provides extra funding to cities that work with the federal government to enforce immigration laws while withholding 25 percent of non-emergency federal Homeland Security funding if the cities refuse to change their policies within six months. In some cases, up to 50 percent of federal funding could be withheld.

These cities know it is already against federal law to operate a sanctuary city but continue to do so anyway. Illegal immigrants are lawbreakers whether they cross the southern border from Mexico or the northern border from Canada, and it has been reported they have killed more than 2,000 U.S. citizens per year since 9/11. Ms. Earl should do more research before she criticizes Rep. Brown-Waite for trying to protect us from illegal immigrants hiding in sanctuary cities who could be planning terrorist attacks against our country.

Betty Dobson

Brooksville

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