As George Orwell wrote in his short novel about the rise of the Soviet Union, Animal Farm, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” That theme came to mind as a young illegal immigrant who had assaulted two New York police officers was released from custody and, for good measure, flipped two middle fingers at the cameras.

On Wednesday, we covered the beatdown of two cops inflicted by a vicious mob of eight people. As we said then, this wasn’t a case of some rowdy hoodlums getting into a shoving match with cops. This was a case of illegal immigrants alternately kicking and head-stomping the officers. Outrageously, all four illegals arrested for this violent crime were released without bail. The video of the thug’s release only provides more visual evidence of their contempt for the Rule of Law.

And, frankly, why wouldn’t they view American law enforcement with disdain? The president of the United States welcomed them in and has instructed his administration to just process and release nearly 10 million “migrants” into the U.S. That is indeed worthy of the contempt shown by the double middle finger.

“Message to America,” said Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, “from one of the illegal migrants who assaulted NYPD officers, walked free with no bail & heads back to a shelter funded by taxpayers.”

Actually, the four men reportedly fled on a bus to California.

Thugs wearing MAGA hats while assaulting Capitol Police on January 6 have rightly faced the full force of the law. But so have the grandparents who were at the Capitol that day to protest election fraud and who ended up touring the Capitol when police removed barricades and let them in.

But eight young men who should have been deported for illegal entry to our country can severely beat two police officers and … walk free? Orwell was right.

New York is now home to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens, thanks in part to the valiant efforts of Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott to “share the joy” with his sanctuary-loving Democrat counterpart in the Empire State. Unfortunately, people whose first act in America is to break our laws of entry are also likely to break other laws. Like, you know, the one forbidding assault of a police officer.

But not to fear. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is on it. “I think [deportation is] actually something that should be looked at,” she said of this story. “I mean, if someone commits a crime against a police officer in the state of New York and they’re not here legally, it’s definitely worth checking into.” You don’t say.

“These are law enforcement officers who should never under any circumstances be subjected to physical assault,” Hochul added. “It’s wrong on all accounts and I’m looking to judges and prosecutors to do the right thing.”

Paging Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Oh, that’s right. The George Soros-funded DA has his hands full prosecuting Donald Trump over how the former president recorded hush money payments to a porn star. Even this week, Bragg is pressuring Allen Weisselberg, a longtime Trump Organization executive and fourth-month resident of Rikers Island prison, to again plead guilty for some low-level tax charges.

When Bragg isn’t engaged in political hackery, he’s persecuting a Good Samaritan named Daniel Penny for defending other subway passengers from a deranged and dangerous man who, unfortunately, died under Penny’s carotid restraint last year.

Bragg probably doesn’t have time to “check into” the case of illegals running amok, even if they have prior violent records like at least one of the eight thugs in question.

As retired NYPD Lieutenant Joe Cardinale pointed out on Fox News this morning: “Governor Hochul has a part in this as well. She could remove Bragg if she wanted to … [but] when your administration releases 38 cop killers under a corrupt parole board, what do you expect?”

Maybe our representatives in Congress will figure it out with the border bargain they’re working on. Don’t count on it.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a key figure in the deal, has defended the vague details of the bill by saying it will finally give Joe Biden the tools needed to enforce the border. The truth is Biden already has all the tools he needs, though he is refusing to use them. And the Senate bill could end up weakening existing law regarding deportation in particular.

These eight thugs never should have been permitted to cross the border. If they did, they should have been apprehended and immediately deported. Instead, they were welcomed by elected Democrats who have every bit as much contempt for the Rule of Law as the criminal flashing his middle fingers for the world to see.

Democrats are just more refined in how they express the same gesture.

Update 3/11/24: The man in the photo at the top of this article was exonerated of his role in the beating of police.