The economy created 196,000 new jobs in March, beating expectations and tamping down fears of a recession. The March report is a big improvement after February’s disappointing numbers, which were also revised up. 

Some economists got nervous about the state of the economy after February’s weak showing, but it appears to have been a temporary blip. The unemployment rate also held steady at a historically low 3.8%.

Selective Compassion

As we are experiencing a massive surge in illegal immigration at our southern border, I want to revisit a critical element that is often overlooked in this debate. The media and many on the left speak of illegal immigration as a humanitarian issue or they couch it in terms of compassion.

But where is the left’s compassion for taxpayers and for the innocent American victims of criminal illegal aliens?

Whenever President Trump talks about illegal immigration, he frequently says that open borders means more crime. Predictably, left-wing pundits accuse the president of being “xenophobic,” even though he often praises legal immigration.

But the president is absolutely correct. Not every illegal immigrant coming across the border is looking for work and a better life.

According to government statistics, illegal aliens make up 21% of the federal prison population. The 730,000 criminal aliens in state and federal prisons were responsible for 7.5 million offenses. They committed:

• 1 million drug crimes

• 500,000 assaults

• 133,800 sex offenses

• 33,300 homicide-related offenses

• 24,200 kidnappings and

• 1,500 terrorism-related crimes.

It cost taxpayers $2.5 billion a year to incarcerate them. Texas bears the brunt of this burden. In the past eight years, it has incarcerated nearly 200,000 criminal aliens.

None of these crimes should have happened. The only reason they did happen is because of the gross malfeasance of liberal politicians who refuse to secure the border.

President Trump wants a border wall to stop illegal immigration, drugs and crime. But Democrats are fighting him every step of the way. Democrats refused to adequately fund Trump’s border wall, and every Democrat in Congress voted against his emergency declaration.

Meanwhile, progressive presidential candidates are all in on open borders. They are talking about tearing down what few border walls we currently have, granting a massive amnesty and decriminalizing illegal border crossings. 

Trump is right when he says Democrats are the party of illegal immigration and crime.

Chaos In The Courts

Here’s more evidence of the connection between illegal immigration and crime: There are 94 federal court districts in the country. The top five federal court districts with the greatest number of convicted defendants in 2018 are all along the U.S. southern border. They are:

• The Western District of Texas

• The Southern District of Texas

• The Southern District of California

• The District of Arizona, and

• The District of New Mexico.

To give you some sense of proportion, number six on the list was the Southern District of Florida. The District of New Mexico convicted nearly twice as many defendants as the Southern District of Florida. 

This pattern has been consistent for the past 20 years. The border courts are overwhelmed.

A final point about the need for greater border security: There has been an explosion of violent crime in Mexico. The murder rate there is at its highest point in almost 30 years.

Much of this crime is taking place along the border. The murder rate in Tijuana, just south of San Diego, has tripled in the past two years. In Ciudad Juarez, just south of El Paso, the murder rate is up 75% so far this year. (And Beto O'Rourke wants to tear down the El Paso wall!)

Maybe it is just a coincidence that this surge of violence in Mexico is taking place with a surge of migrants and caravans toward our border. Then again, maybe not. We know drug cartels are exploiting the chaos at the border. We also know there are MS-13 gang members in the caravans. 

Regardless, the numbers don’t lie. We have a huge problem with criminal illegal aliens, and our border courts are overwhelmed. Again, President Trump is right — open borders means more crime.

S.O.S. — Stop Ocasio-Cortez’s Socialism

Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) announced Thursday that House Republicans were forming an Anti-Socialism Caucus to “defend individual liberty and free markets and highlight the dark history of socialism.”

Clearly, the Anti-Socialism Caucus is desperately needed. With crazy ideas like the Green New Deal, guaranteed income, Medicare for All and 70% tax rates, a lot of members of Congress need a few lessons in basic economics.

Here’s more good news: The Tea Party Patriots are gearing up to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2009 Tax Day Tea Parties with “Stop Socialism Choose Freedom” rallies around the country on April 15th. 

I hope you will make every effort to attend one of these rallies or even consider hosting one of your own. For more information, visit TeaParty10.com. 

As Ronald Reagan said, freedom isn’t guaranteed. We must fight for it. We must stop the left’s socialism. We must defend our freedom!