Immigration Enforcement Is Just Like KKK, Says Harris 2020
The California Democrat helped create a perception she then blames on ICE.
California Democrat Sen. Kamala Harris certainly showed her penchant for hysterics in the despicable Brett Kavanaugh hearings, but she reached another low Thursday. During a confirmation hearing for Ronald Vitello, a 30-year Border Patrol veteran, to become the permanent director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Harris declared the law-enforcement agency to be just like the lawless and racist KKK.
Prompted by Harris’s questions about Vitello’s years-old social media post about the Democrat Party being “liberalcratic” or “NeoKlanist,” here’s the relevant exchange:
Vitiello: “The Klan was what we could call today a domestic terrorist group.”
Harris: “Why? Why would we call them a domestic terrorist group?”
Vitiello: “Because they tried to use fear and force to change the political environment.”
Harris: “And what was the motivation for the use of fear and force?”
Vitiello: “It was based on race and ethnicity.”
Harris: “Right. Are you aware of the perception of many about how the power and discretion at ICE is being used to enforce the laws? And do you see any parallels?”
Vitiello: “I do not see any parallels between sworn officers and agents…”
Harris: “I’m talking about perception.”
Vitiello: “I do not see a parallel between what is constitutionally mandated as it relates to enforcing the law.
Harris: "Are you aware that there’s a perception? Are you aware that there’s a perception?”
Vitiello: “I see no perception that puts ICE in the same category as the KKK…”
Harris: “I’m not finished. I’m not finished. I’m not finished. Are you aware that there is a perception that ICE is administering its power in a way that is causing fear and intimidation, particularly among immigrants and specifically among immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America?”
Surely, Harris just overlooked the fact that more than half of all Border Patrol agents are Hispanic or Latino.
The senator’s outrageous race-bait badgering is meant for two purposes: One, #Resistance cred for her 2020 presidential bid. Two, showmanship to create the perception of racist law enforcement she insists is already there.
To the extent that the perception of racism at ICE already exists, it is because Democrats have strategically fomented it for craven political gain. Democrats began a small movement to abolish ICE this past summer. While Harris stopped just short of fully jumping on that bandwagon, she attacked the agency anyway, saying, “We need to probably think about starting from scratch.” The abolition movement even led to multiple violent protests. Coincidentally we’re sure, this Demo trial balloon was followed by three caravans from Central America aiming to enter the U.S. illegally and then demand asylum.
Harris wanted to know what Vitiello would do to fix the perception (she helped create). He responded that, for one thing, he’d defend the agency against “misleading rhetoric and misinformation.” That pretty well indicts every elected Democrat.