The school rape of a 14-year-old girl last week in a boys' bathroom in a Maryland high school, involving two immigrants have fuelled opposition against illegal immigrants. The legislative decision in making the state a "sanctuary state" for illegal immigrants has since been publicly criticized.
Maryland's House of Delegates passed legislation to become a "sanctuary state," joining alongside states like California only four days following the rape. This legislation, instead of protecting citizens, offers additional protections to illegal criminal aliens and makes it all the more difficult to deport them or enquire their immigration status.
The passing of the sanctuary states legislation has infuriated Maryland officials and has caused widespread revulsion outside of Maryland, and has gotten worse since the rape offense. It was only last month Rockville City Council Member Julie Palakovich Carr, a Democrat leader, introduced an ordinance to make Rockville a sanctuary city.
According to Fox News, one suspect of the alleged rape, 18-year-old Henry E. Sanchez, entered the country illegally from Mexico and has been ordered to appear before an immigration judge for a hearing yet to be scheduled. The other suspect, Jose O. Montano, 17, of El Salvador, has been staying in the county illegally.
Montgomery County, where the rape allegedly happened, is a part of the list released this week by U.S. Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) under the status of "Jurisdictions that have enacted policies which limit cooperation with ICE." The status is given when law enforcement agencies fail to honor immigration detainers and release serious criminal offenders, particularly in this case of allowing the sanctuary states legislation to suppress ICE's ability in protecting the public safety.
"The reason the president has made it such a priority to crack down on illegal immigration is because of cases like this," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday, according to NBC Washington. He could be right at this point as the sanctuary states legislation interferes with federal law enforcement and is already endangering the safety of citizens.
