The headlines so far this year remind Americans of a troubling pattern. Our nation is racked by violent crime and dangerous incidents that all come back to major failures in our immigration policies and public safety systems. Much work has been done under the Trump Administration to fix these concerns, but there is much left to be done.
Within 24 hours of U.S. military action against Iran, a 53-year-old Muslim immigrant from Senegal allegedly opened fire into a crowded bar filled with students from the nearby University of Texas. Three people were killed and more than a dozen others were wounded before police arrived and shot the attacker within about a minute of being called. The suspect had originally entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2000 and was later naturalized as a citizen, despite having multiple prior arrests whose details remain sealed.
Another violent crime soon followed. On February 23, Stephanie Minter, a 41-year-old mother, was murdered while standing at a bus stop in Fairfax County, Virginia. She was stabbed in the neck by a 32-year-old illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone. He had previously been arrested more than 30 times and had a final order of removal pending. However, due to delays and interference in deportations, he remained in the United States. His long arrest record included charges such as rape, assault, identity theft, drug possession, and weapons offenses.
This problem extends beyond violent attacks. In Missouri, a motorist narrowly avoided a deadly collision after spotting an 18-wheel tractor-trailer driving the wrong way on a highway near Troy. Police stopped the driver and discovered he could not demonstrate basic English proficiency needed to read road signs. The driver, believed to be from Somalia, was issued a commercial driver’s license in Minnesota, allowing him to operate large trucks on highways nationwide.
These recent examples illustrate the dangerous consequences of lax immigration enforcement and sanctuary policies that shield criminal offenders from deportation. When illegal aliens with extensive criminal histories remain in the country and are even issued CDLs without ensuring basic safety standards, the lives of ordinary Americans are put at risk every day. Innocent citizens deserve policies that protect them from preventable tragedies, and elected office holders who are willing to uphold them.
The Phyllis Schlafly Report chronicles all of these outrageous unfair practices and provides answers. Go online to PhyllisSchlafly.com today. Thanks for listening to the Phyllis Schlafly Report.
