Interesting fact: Under the Mexican constitution, a naturalized citizen may never, ever be a police officer, even if he’s lived and paid taxes in the nation for decades. Yet under a bill passed by the Illinois Legislature, a Mexican — or any other foreigner — could enter the U.S. illegally, receive some kind of unwarranted amnesty, and then become a cop. What’s more, policies allowing such are already a reality in certain parts of our country.
Welcome to the third millennium, where citizenship means a lot — most everywhere but the United States.
ABC 20 reported on the story Sunday, writing that a “bill sent to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk would allow noncitizen immigrants to become law enforcers in Illinois.”
“House Bill 3751 permits anyone who is not a U.S. citizen but is legally authorized to work in the country under federal law to apply to become a police officer or a sheriff’s deputy.”
“The Democrat-dominated Illinois House and Senate passed the bill, leaving Pritzker with the power to either sign it into law or veto it,” The Stock Dork (TSD) adds. “The implications of such a decision are drawing strong reactions from both sides of the immigration debate.”
“While the legislation has been on Governor Pritzker’s desk since mid-June [6/16], he has yet to make a definitive decision,” the site also writes. “The weight of this choice is immense, as it could significantly impact the state’s law enforcement landscape. However, even if Pritzker chooses to veto the bill, the Democrat supermajority in the legislative chambers can override his decision, potentially making it a law without his support.”
TSD further informs that this “move is seen by some as an inclusive step towards creating a more diverse and representative police force.” Well, yes, for sure, making cops of alien interlopers certainly has that effect.
And including on a police force rapists, murderers, pedophiles, and open Nazis and Marxists would make it more inclusive and diverse still.
Among the bill’s critics is the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, part of whose statement on the matter follows.
“What message does this legislation send when it allows people who do not have legal status to become the enforcers of our laws?” the organization wrote. “This is a potential crisis of confidence in law enforcement at a time when our officers need all the public confidence they can get.”
This assessment certainly is accurate if the comments associated with TSD’s article at MSN.com are any indication. A sampling:
“What nation does this?!” exclaimed poster Lucy Leon. “Insane to give outsiders more than you give citizens!!!”
A flabbergasted Paul Kracht wrote, “[You’re] going to allow non citizens the powers of arrest over citizens?” This is a “total disgrace,” he added.
One “Giga Shadow” struck a defiant note, writing that absolutely “under no circumstances should any citizen submit to any non-citizen who tries to arrest them in their own country.”
And Laura Surran pithily lamented, “Guess California craziness is contagious after all.”
This last comment references a Golden State law, which took effect January 1, stating “that anyone who can legally work in the state under federal law, can be a police officer, regardless of citizenship,” as CBS 8 related early this year.
Allowing such is more widespread than people may suppose, too. According to the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force, Colorado, Vermont, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Maine are among the states/jurisdictions allowing noncitizens to become cops. This said, these states have merely failed to legislate in this area (the issue perhaps never came up) and thus allow localities to devise their own relevant policies. California’s law does, and Illinois’ bill would, actually compel all their jurisdictions to adopt the foreign-interloper standard.
One argument for noncitizen police many people find persuasive is that if immigrants have been honorably discharged from the U.S. military (not a requirement under Illinois’ bill), they should be eligible to be cops. Yet “in some respects, that puts the cart before the horse,” wrote The New American’s Warren Mass in 2015. “Many have doubted the wisdom of having non-citizens serve in our military as well, since the national loyalty of someone who has not yet achieved citizenship can be questionable.”
Yet this does have historical precedent. During the Roman Empire’s waning days, it increasingly hired foreigners to serve as troops. The Western Roman Empire would later collapse, in 476 A.D., never having regained its former glory.
In reality, the Illinois bill may, in part, be driven be recruitment imperatives. As MSN commenter Mara Alexander theorized, “Citizens don’t want these jobs because they’re not getting the backing of authorities.”
For certain is that with authorities having entertained Black Lives Matter-like schemes to “abolish the police” and having demonized cops, used them as scapegoats, and unfairly imprisoned them, morale has diminished and many officers have left service. But is filling the ranks with foreigners wise?
Many immigrants today hail from nations in which police corruption is common, where taking bribes and even shaking down citizens may not be unusual. And because people don’t suddenly become a tabula rasa upon stepping on American terra firma but instead bring their “values” with them, this is perhaps just one good reason to disallow noncitizens from police work.
In fact, replicating Mexico’s “natural born” requirement for such positions might be prudent (though it may not pass legal muster). After all, do you really want to be arrested by someone with a badge and a gun — and a foreign accent?
