N&O advises on HOW to obstruct the work of ICE. (*How nice.*)

It’s no secret that illegal immigration is expensive for the rest of us. Granted, it saves farmers and manufacturers on the front end.  On the back end, there are a lot of taxes being evaded.  The illegals overrun our hospitals.  Their lack of insurance jacks up the costs for the rest of us.  Their children fill up public schools that they aren’t paying for. Their traffic accidents in their uninsured vehicles also run up costs for the rest of us.

We’re not talking about people who followed the law and went through the proper process.  We’re talking about the folks who get wet swimming the Rio Grande or who pay cartel smugglers to sneak them here in a ship’s hold or an 18-wheeler’s trailer.

It’s absolutely stupefying to see and hear propagandists at places like The N&O and WRAL defend these people as innocent victims of Trump voters.  These on-air and in-print liars portray these people as innocents who only want the good life in America.  If that’s the case, why not follow the law or learn English? Why block traffic waving Mexican flags? 

It’s not about assimilation. It’s about bringing the economic and social decay of pick-a-latin-american-country  to our communities. It’s about importing even more slaves to the American welfare state.  It’s about bulking up the government-dependent vote in our country’s elections.

If you’re familiar at all with law enforcement in this country, there IS a charge called obstruction of justice.  It involves failing to cooperate with law enforcement officers or trying to hinder said officers while they are performing their duties.

During the Biden era, leftists expressed their belief that federal immigration laws need not be enforced.  (*The lefties sounded a lot like those folks in the 60s and 70s who didn’t like all that civil rights stuff being pushed by DC.*)

Democrats in the North Carolina General Assembly — and their governor — actually drew a line in the sand to defend their belief that immigration laws not be enforced.

Now that we have a GOP legislature, a GOP Congress, and a GOP White House, lefties are a bit more anxious their resistance may end up being for naught.   We’ve got drive-by media people talking about illegal aliens *who haven’t committed any crimes.*.

Aren’t you a criminal if you are in this country illegally?  No, say lefties.  Illegal aliens have committed a *civil offense* they argue, so there is no *criminal record.*

The N&O is featuring a piece by a dowdy DEI hire from their newsroom explaining how you don’t really need to pay any attention to ICE agents.  (I’d pay money to watch her and some of her Chapel Hill drum circle trying to tell that to Tom Homan.) 

There’s a video accompanying her article, of course:

New laws, executive orders and warnings of mass deportation from the Trump administration have many people, regardless of legal status, concerned about potential encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

[…] But people who have entered or are living in the U.S. without legal authorization still have rights. There are more than 11 million people living in the U.S. without authorization, and about 315,000 of them are in North Carolina, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

The N&O spoke with an immigration attorney at the Durham-based firm Brown Immigration Law and the Siembra NC organization, which works to support families and communities affected by ICE, to learn what people should know about dealing with ICE.

Do you need to answer ICE’s questions?

Everyone in the United States has the right to remain silent, Rishi Oza, a partner at Brown Immigration Law, told The N&O over the phone.

“No one has an obligation to speak to, quite frankly, any law enforcement officer, unless there’s a warrant or something along those lines, some kind of subpoena to speak before a court,” Oza said.

However, Oza said he recommends that people be polite and not argumentative when dealing with officers.

“You can always say, ‘I’m remaining silent and I’m asking for an attorney,’” said Kelly Morales, a co-director of Siembra NC.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, if you’re pulled over while driving, an officer can require you to show your license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance, and write your name and address or the name and address of the vehicle owner. But individuals are not required to answer questions about their immigration status.

Do you need to let ICE into your home or business?

ICE agents are not allowed to enter your home without your consent, probable cause or a warrant signed by a judge, Oza said. Even if ICE agents have a judicial warrant that allows them to enter and search private property, you can still remain silent and ask for an attorney. “Not opening the door until we can confirm that there’s a judicial warrant with your name on it signed by a judge — it’s really vital,” Morales said.

The law is more vague when it comes to businesses, Oza said, because they are quasi-public places. ICE will typically have a warrant or document that allows them to enter a business and search for people who are living in the country illegally, Oza said.

”I would say it’s relatively rare, in my experience, that ICE is just going to walk into a restaurant and say, ‘We need to check this place out’ and go searching into the back,” Oza said. Though not an attorney, Morales also stressed that business owners are not required to comply without a warrant. “They’re counting on business owners, they’re counting on managers, they’re counting on people at the door, people in their cars to actually consent to having a conversation with them and consent to starting an apprehension process,” Morales said.

What should you do if you are concerned about being deported? People who are worried about deportation or expedited removal should meet with an immigration attorney who can help individuals understand their options.

“Since the election, we’ve seen an uptick in the number of people that have been coming into the office and just kind of asking about, hey, what are my options? And a large majority of these folks have options they can pursue. They just never bothered doing it,” Oza said. He also recommends reducing the likelihood of encountering law enforcement. This can be done by avoiding driving — by instead using public transportation and refraining from activities like driving drunk.

The National Immigrant Justice Center outlines several steps to protect against deportation: Consult with a licensed attorney or accredited representative. Create a safety plan. Memorize contact information for emergency contacts, and make sure emergency contacts can make medical and legal decisions for children. Keep identity and financial documents in a safe place that emergency contacts can access. Be aware of digital scams, including social media posts promising new or quick immigration relief. The U.S. government does not typically contact people by phone.

*Oh, these people are sooooooo helpful.*

Wouldn’t it be nice to have SOMEBODY among the drive-bys who gave an honest damn about saving our country?