Defensive Delco Council Shrilly Denies Issue With Illegals

Defensive Delco Council Shrilly Denies Issue With Illegals — Delaware County Council, tonight, March 6, perversely promoted multiculturalism when given first-hand accounts of suffering caused by illegal aliens and reports of law enforcement unable to keep them in custody when they commit crimes.

Sharon Devaney of Haverford Township described how she was permanently disabled in 2017 when a car traveling 70 mph and driven by an illegal, t-boned her Toyota Camry at Lawrence and Ellis roads. She had been dropping off her daughter with her parents before work. The illegal was not insured and in violation of numerous laws yet the police released her without charges.

Ms.Devaney implored council to change Delco’s status as a sanctuary county.

A “sanctuary city” or county is a jurisdiction that limits or denies its cooperation with the national government in enforcing immigration law

Kathy Williams of Haverford also demanded Delco stop welcoming illegals.

She noted an incident in which three illegals were captured by Ridley Police after stealing a car. Police informed ICE who ordered that they be freed.

Joy Schwartz of Upper Darby followed with a third request to end the sanctuary county status.

“This wave — I’ll call it an invasion — is like nothing I’ve seen before,” she said.

She brought up the reports of plans to house illegals in the shuttered Springfield and Delaware County Memorial hospitals.

The response from officialdom was shrill and defensive.

Solicitor Jonathan Lichtenstein vehemently denied Delco being a sanctuary county. He said such reports were “massive misinformation.”

He said the claims stem from Delco agreeing to join the US Department of States Refugee Resettlement Program in January 2020.

Um, no.

The claim stems from at least 2016 when Center for Immigration Studies included Delco on its list of sanctuary cities, and where it remains.

Ms. Devaney’s testimony obviously backs this claim.

By the way, Wikipedia list Delco as one of Pennsylvania’s 18 sanctuary jurisdictions.

Our officials don’t appear to have a handle as to what’s happening.

Christine A. Reuther dismissed Ms. Devaney’s claim that the problem was illegal immigration and that Delco was protecting illegals.

“I heard someone say we’ve been a sanctuary county since 2014, which I’m sure would surprise our previous councilmembers who I can’t imagine would have voted to have made us a sanctuary county,” she said.

Well, John McBlain wasn’t happy when we pointed it out.

Ms Reuther made light of the remarks made by Ms. Devaney.

“I feel bad for anybody who has been victimized by a bad uninsured driver,” she said.

She said that illegal immigration was just an election issue.

Ms. Reuther said the county didn’t even have an immigration commission.

Um, yes, you do.

Seriously, do you people know what’s going on?

Dr. Monica Taylor expressed anger at the words used by those describing the crisis and claimed those expressing the concerns were directing them at immigrants rather than the flood crossing the border in violation of our laws.

She also dismissed Ms. Devany’s experience saying the person who nearly killed two people while crippling one while speeding through a busy intersection was just an “uninsured driver” and it was not an immigration issue.

So tell us Dr. Taylor, where do you think this person took her test for her driver’s license?

Swarthmore College student Jonas Salk (phonetic) praised sanctuary cities and multiculturalism.

Ms. Reuther made a puzzling statement in her objections to the concerns expressed about illegal immigration.

“They can speculate about what we might do or tell you what they might do if they were sitting up here but to simply say that ‘Oh gee maybe somebody that has nothing to do with any of this who to be quite honest with you isn’t necessarily supported by every member of County Council in a run for higher office, who can’t affect any sort of usage for any sort of property that doesn’t belong to the county is just fearmongering.”

So who is this person running for higher office not necessarily supported by every member of County Council? We doubt it’s a Republican.