President Donald Trump dropped a head-scratcher on Wednesday that has conservatives scratching their heads, too. After federal agents shot and killed two Minneapolis agitators obstructing ICE operations last month, Trump told NBC News his administration might need “a softer touch” on immigration enforcement. Hold on – isn’t this the guy who promised mass deportations and got reelected on it? What gives?
"I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch. But you still have to be tough," Trump explained, describing what he apparently took away from the Minneapolis incidents. The comment came as his administration faces intense criticism from Democrats over the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed in separate confrontations with federal immigration agents in January.
I don’t understand why Trump would say that. Renee Good attempted to run over an ICE agent with her car. Alex Pretti assaulted Border Patrol agents while armed. Trump should be doubling down, not doubling back.
Here's what everyone seems to be missing. The problem isn't how the Trump administration is enforcing immigration laws. The problem is the resistance efforts orchestrated by citizens in sanctuary cities and states. Just nine counties account for 63% of all violent confrontations with non-immigrants nationwide, according to an analysis from Kevin Bass. Bass documented 400 total incidents involving ICE, of which 174 involve non-immigrants. A stunning 110 of those non-immigrant incidents occurred in the top nine counties, while only 64 occurred in the remaining 3,134 counties.
Think about that for a second. A violent confrontation in these nine counties was 590 times more likely than in any of the other 3,134 counties. What do these nine counties have in common? All of them are sanctuary jurisdictions run by Democratic politicians who actively resist immigration law enforcement. These violent confrontations are rare in states and cities where local officials cooperate with law enforcement rather than undermine it.
Related: What the Left Doesn’t Want You to Know About Violent Confrontations With ICE
The data proves beyond a doubt that the issue isn’t with how federal agents do their jobs. The real problem is how sanctuary cities and states have created environments that actively encourage resistance to lawful immigration enforcement. Democratic officials in these jurisdictions have spent weeks antagonizing and agitating activists, essentially encouraging violent confrontation with federal officers.
The Minneapolis sanctuary city policy specifically prevents local police from assisting ICE agents unless there's "a clear and immediate threat to life, serious injury, or destruction of property." This leaves federal officers hanging out to dry when mobs attack them or threaten violence. Local law enforcement isn't permitted to provide basic safety and security for federal officers or the public.
So when Trump talks about needing a softer touch, he's responding to manufactured outrage from Democratic officials who created this powder keg in the first place. Trump shouldn't be apologizing for enforcing the law. He should be hammering home the message that sanctuary city policies are getting people hurt and killed, not federal immigration enforcement.
