Karen Bass, once again, made herself look very foolish yesterday in Los Angeles.  ICE agents swept through MacArthur Park and she showed up to denounce it.  Immigration policy is rapidly becoming a swamp where no one understands the legalities. there is a deeply compelling moral component and the optics are horrible.

Let’s start with the optics.  The coverage of the thing is mostly LA local, with a few exceptions, and among the many accusations hurled by Bass, the funniest by far is her accusation that it was a “political stunt.”  Like her showing up in the middle of the thing wasn’t?  Almost equally laughable is her contention that the park was just kids in camp, enjoying themselves.  The park has, until very recently, been primarily a homeless encampment.  Less than a year ago, one of LA’s iconic eateries, located just across the street from the park, threatened to close its doors after over 70 years of operation if the park was not cleaned up.

Much has been made of the fact that no arrests were made, though it seems activists swept the park first with warnings.  ICE has had nothing to say about their reasons.  Please remember, the administration’s goal is not to forcibly deport illegals; they want them to voluntarily self-deport.  Does it strike anyone besides me that a show of force like this might just motivate such self-deportation?  So maybe it was all a show, but if it was, it was a show with a purpose – and a humane one.

Now, as to the legalities.  The federal government controls immigration.  That’s it, that’s all.  Any action on the topic taken by state and local governments is, by definition, a political stunt, if not an act of sedition.  They exercise no authority on the matter.  They are subject to the actions and rulings of the federal government just like the rest of us.  Karen Bass, and her compatriot in these matters, Gavin Newsom, may be trying to clothe themselves in righteousness, but legally they have cast themselves in the role of George Wallace, defying federally mandated integration of schools in Alabama.

Which brings me to morality.  There is such a thing in this world as a genuine refugee – people under persecution in their home country.  It has always been, and still is, the policy of the United States to welcome such people. We are a moral and decent people. Unfortunately our refugee admissions program was so horribly abused under the Biden regency’s open border policies that its temporary suspension was mandated.  It should be noted that the ordered suspension also orders rapid actions towards its proper reinstitution.  Finally, it should be noted that these orders are well within the president’s authority as granted by Congress.

We do have a moral obligation to help and welcome genuine refugees.  It is, in fact, our Christian duty.  Thus the nation is obligated to operate an orderly system to do so, and to make that system as easy to navigate for the genuine refugee as possible.  It would behoove the Trump administration to move rapidly and very visibly towards the reinstitution of a useful refugee admission system.  DHS and State are supposed to report to the President every 90 days as to the advisability of once again allowing refugees in.  These reports should be made public.  Further, efforts to refine the system, properly defining who is and who is not a refugee should be undertaken to avoid further abuse once acceptance is reinstituted.  These efforts should equally be conducted publicly.

When you read this excerpt from Salena Zito’s new book on Trump being shot in Butler, PA, you’ll readily see that the President is not the heartless monster so many would paint him as.  Legacy media does not let this aspect of the President’s personality show. Here is an opportunity for it to come shining through in his actions.