Opinion | As a Republican I support immigration enforcement, but Operation Metro Surge went too far

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If you had asked me weeks ago where I stood on Operation Metro Surge, my answer would have looked a bit different from my answer today. It would have been colored by a strong, unwavering belief that federal authorities have every right to come in and enforce federal law and keep our communities safe. It’s a belief that I, and so many other Republicans in this state, still support.

Here’s what changed. As the days and weeks went by, many Minnesotans took a look at the situations that unfolded in our communities. We heard the stories that our own friends and family shared. We saw tragedies occur and unfold in real time. And we could not ignore that what was taking place in our communities was no longer about the core mission of keeping the worst of the worst off our streets.

Instead, I heard stories of friends and family members who were scared to go out without passports and paperwork to prove their right to be in this country; stories of teachers who came up with plans to evacuate students from recess, and stories of children who were scared of the black helicopters circling overhead.

The sad reality is that we wouldn’t be in the place we are today, the loss and fear so many in our communities feel right now, if the government — on both sides of the aisle — had simply done its job.

Make no mistake, taking the worst of the worst off our streets is a mission everyone who cares about the rule of law and protecting our cities can get behind. A recent Harvard poll found that 73% of Americans, including 60% of Democrats, 90% of Republicans, and 69% of independents support removing from our country illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. This isn’t exclusive to red states either. In New York, a Siena University poll found that 43% of New Yorkers approve of deporting illegal immigrants, compared with 35% who oppose.

Peaceful protesting is an absolute right in this country that should be protected and respected. But at the same time, playing loud music outside of hotels that are supposedly housing federal agents to keep them up at night, breaking into their vehicles and obstructing their movements is not peaceful. In fact, it endangers everyone involved.

That White House border czar Tom Homan is here as a mediator from Washington is a sign both sides recognize that things have gone way too far. The leadership Homan has brought to Minneapolis since he arrived is how the administration should have handled its mission from the beginning — it’s what the American people voted for.

However, what has occurred over the past month does not solely lie at the feet of the Trump administration. If Democrats had done their job all along, none of this would have occurred.

With DFL control locked in place for the last 20 years, state and local leaders have turned their backs on the rule of law in favor of creating an environment that welcomed and encouraged illegal immigration into our state. Some Democrats openly talked about obstructing ICE, and DFL lawmakers sought to make Minnesota a sanctuary state in a previous session. Meanwhile, Minnesota Democrats have gone out of their way to create incentives in recent years for illegal immigrants, which include offering them driver’s licenses, free or reduced rates of college tuition, and even subsidized health care.

I’m the product of legal immigration and support more immigrants like my parents coming to this country. But as a second-generation American, it’s also important to say that I grew up understanding that two types of people come to the United States: some who, despite President John Kennedy’s famous injunction to “ask not,” were motivated by what this country could do for them; and others who were more interested in what they could do for their new country. There were those, like my parents, who worked hard, kept their heads down, paid their taxes and fought to achieve their piece of the American dream. On the other hand, there were some who, after hearing of all the entitlements and programs aimed to help Americans in need, came with their designs set on free money and free programs.

We’re seemingly headed in the right direction, and I pray that progress continues. But it’s time we acknowledge where our government failed us. State leaders failed to do the very basics of their jobs, resulting in fraud and crime, and the federal government, in a rush to fulfill campaign promises, has created a sense of fear in the very people they aimed to protect. It’s time for us to do better.