It's hardly news that Vice President Kamala Harris is a far-left extremist, especially on immigration issues. But just how far-left is she, the Sacramento Bee offered some insight yesterday.
Harris was behind the effort to get California law enforcement to allow illegal immigrants to practice law, and in fact, The Bee's sources say it may have been she who inspired Mexican national Sergio Garcia to start practicing law.
The remarks are consistent with Harris' well-known stance on immigration: She is a staunch supporter of open borders and believes crossing the border illegally is not a crime.
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From one particularly persistent story, in which Bee reporters found no opposition from California's legal community, we learned that “Sergio Covarrubias Garcia had done his best to avoid interactions with police for most of his life. At 17, Garcia was praying that police wouldn't stop the Chevrolet truck used to smuggle him and other illegal immigrants to the border. His nervousness only continued. Every time Garcia went to work or school, he hoped officers would look the other way.”
According to the Bee, his dream was to become a lawyer, but he was an expert at breaking the law. That aside, Harris, who was the state's attorney general at the time, learned that Garcia had “endured a highly publicized, years-long battle to become the nation's first unlicensed lawyer,” the Bee continued.
To Garcia's surprise, Harris voiced her support. She even filed a brief in support of his lawsuit and sent lawyers from her own firm to defend him in the state Supreme Court.
“To know that the 'top cop' in California didn't hate me because I was an undocumented immigrant, but supported me and wanted me to achieve my dreams,” said Garcia, 47. “That was a big thing.”
Kevin Johnson, dean of the University of California, Davis School of Law and one of the lawyers who represented Garcia before the California Bar, said Vice President Harris' support “made the difference in this case” and ultimately led to a unanimous decision in Garcia's favor from the California Supreme Court.
Harris' influence was so great that Garcia became a lawyer despite opposition from the Obama administration.
The Obama administration's Justice Department correctly argued that the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act prohibited Garcia from practicing law because a license to practice law is a “public interest.”
Indeed, the Obama administration's Department of Justice argued that the law was “clearly designed to prevent illegal aliens from obtaining state and federal commercial and professional licenses.”
Of course, Harris disagreed. “Residing or working in the United States without immigration status is not a crime, and Mr. Garcia has never been charged with illegal entry,” she said. She provided pro bono legal assistance to defend Mr. Garcia's case in the state Supreme Court.
The Bee also described what an incredible woman Harris is.
Nearly two years after Harris announced her support for Garcia, she invited him to her office.
Garcia, now a well-regarded attorney living in Chico, California, remembered being nervous that day in February 2014. Even then, he still harbored doubts about law enforcement.
“It's a little unsettling when the 'top cop' calls you into his office,” Garcia said. The two spoke for more than an hour, even though a member of Harris' staff told Garcia he was only given 30 minutes and “not to waste her time.” Garcia said Harris jokingly chided him for repeatedly looking at his watch during the conversation. She reminded him “who's the boss,” he added.
Harris ended the conversation by presenting him with a medal of valor.
Garcia now fully supports Harris' campaign to become the first female president of the United States, but she has not hidden her disappointment with Harris and President Joe Biden over what she sees as a lack of commitment to the Latino community and immigration reform over the past few years.
Illegal immigrants are not criminals
As The New American reported last week, Harris's defense of illegal immigrants is consistent with statements she has made in one form or another over the years.
“It's wrong to suggest that illegal immigrants are criminals,” she believes.
“Being an illegal immigrant is not a crime,” she said. “I know what crime is like,” she added. “Illegal immigrants are not criminals.”
The problem is that federal law (8 U.S.C. Section 1325) says otherwise.
Any alien who (1) enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than those designated by an immigration officer, (2) evades inspection or review by an immigration officer, or (3) attempts to enter, or is admitted to, the United States by knowingly making a false or misleading representation or knowingly concealing a material fact, shall be punished under Title 18 for a first such offense, by a fine or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, and under Title 18 for a second or subsequent such offense, by a fine or imprisonment for not more than two years, or both.
Similarly, federal immigration law mandates the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants.
Harris has no plans to address deportations, instead planning to grant amnesty to foreign nationals who entered the US illegally at the urging of the Biden administration.
“I think it's important to be mindful of what's important,” Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren told CNN's Jake Tapper recently.
Warren said cities and states need more resources to deal with Biden's immigrant invaders.
She added, “I believe we need to create a pathway to citizenship. All of these are part of what we need to do for comprehensive immigration reform. Kamala Harris will work with Congress to get it done.”
“Comprehensive immigration reform” is a term that means open borders to the left.
H/T: Breitbart
